Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action against Harris County for implementing what he deems an unlawful “guaranteed income” program. The initiative, introduced by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in 2023, involves distributing public funds in a manner that Attorney General Paxton argues violates the Texas Constitution.
The program in question aimed to randomly select 1,928 eligible Harris County residents through a lottery system to receive $500 cash payments for 18 months with “no strings attached.” Funded by $20.5 million allocated to the county from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act for COVID-19 relief efforts, the program faced criticism for potentially including certain classifications of noncitizens as eligible recipients.
According to Attorney General Paxton, the Texas Constitution explicitly prohibits the allocation of public funds by any political entity for the benefit of individuals. He stated, “This scheme is plainly unconstitutional. Taxpayer money must be spent lawfully and used to advance the public interest, not merely redistributed with no accountability or reasonable expectation of a general benefit.”
The legality of Harris County’s program is further questioned as it lacks conditions, control over the expenditure of funds, and assurance of public benefit, all of which are deemed as violations of the Texas Constitution. The arbitrary selection process of recipients through a lottery system is highlighted as a key point of concern, as it goes against the principle of equal rights outlined in the Constitution.
Attorney General Paxton emphasized the importance of upholding the law in the use of public funds, stating, “I am suing to stop officials in Harris County from abusing public funds for political gain.” The lawsuit aims to address what he perceives as a misuse of taxpayer money for purposes that do not align with the public interest.