Lawmakers pass ban on guaranteed income programs in Iowa, including 'UpLift' pilot

Local governments would be banned from adopting guaranteed income programs — like a central Iowa pilot program that provides low-income Iowans with $500 per month — under legislation headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk.

The Iowa Senate voted 35-13 Tuesday to pass House File 2319, sending it to Reynolds for her signature. The House passed the bill on March 5.

The bill would halt central Iowa's UpLift pilot program, which provides 110 Iowans from Polk, Dallas and Warren counties with $500 per month for two years. The payments, which are unrestricted, are intended to assist Iowans in covering the costs of basic needs.

Republicans who backed the bill criticized UpLift, arguing it was the wrong direction to go in while addressing the issue of poverty and expressing concern that guaranteed income programs could become more widespread.

"I believe that we have the ultimate concern of the taxpayer at hand," said Sen. Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf, who said "we've done a lot of things in this particular chamber to help poverty."

Democrats characterized the bill as an attack on low-income families, saying it wasn't the role of the Legislature to intervene in local efforts such as UpLift.

"You've come with nothing to solve poverty," said Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines. "And if you're not going to help, get out of the way."

How would the bill banning guaranteed income programs work?

Counties and cities could not adopt or enforce an ordinance or rule making payments under the legislation.

UpLift would be allowed to remain in effect until Jan. 1, 2025, if the bill becomes law. The project's pilot program is scheduled to end in May 2025 after two years of monthly payments.

The bill exempts work study and other training programs.

The attorney general's office, under the bill, would be able to send cease-and-desist orders to any county that adopts or enforces a program that provides guaranteed income. Counties that violate the ban would be subject to lawsuits.

UpLift is led by The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement and supported by 30 community groups, including Polk County. Its funding comes from 11 public and private sources.

Participants receive debit cards reloaded each month with $500.

The vast majority (81%) of the program's 110 participants are Polk County residents, and at least 65% live in a metropolitan area.

The group, many of which are working full-time, reported earning an average household income of just over $24,000 annually.

More: Iowa House passes ban on guaranteed income programs, aimed at Polk County's UpLift pilot

In a statement on March 11, the Harkin Center said the UpLift project is designed to answer the question of whether guaranteed basic income programs are effective and will provide important real-world information for policymakers considering similar programs in the future.

"We support the project because we want to know the answer; only once the results are known can the debate be truly informed," the statement said.

"Banning basic income projects preemptively, without first learning whether they’re helpful or not, cuts off a possible avenue for improving the lives of Iowans."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at [email protected]m or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Legislature: Ban on guaranteed income programs passes