Republican Sponsored Bill Would Block Wisconsin Communities From Using Public Money to Bankroll Guaranteed Income Programs

Saturday, April 15th, 2023 -- 10:00 AM

(By Sarah Lehr, Wisconsin Public Radio) A Republican-sponsored bill would block local communities in Wisconsin from using public money to bankroll guaranteed income programs.

According to Sarah Lehr with Wisconsin Public Radio, dozens of cities across the country have signed onto such programs, in which residents get recurring payments. Unlike other government subsidies, those payments are not restricted to specific uses like rent or food.

During a public hearing this week, state Rep. Amy Binsfield, R-Sheboygan, pointed to Wisconsin's low unemployment rate and argued guaranteed income discourages work.

"We should not be asking the taxpayers to fund another handout on top of the already taxpayer-funded benefits," Binsfield said. "We especially want to make sure that our labor force is getting the workers that they need and doesn't have to continue to beg on top of these programs."

Currently, Madison is the only Wisconsin city running a guaranteed income program. But Binsfield says under the bill she introduced earlier this month, Madison's project would still be allowed because the city's yearlong pilot is funded by private donors.

Even so, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway called the bill a "shortsighted" attempt to override local decision-making. The no-strings-attached payments give people the financial flexibility they need to lift themselves out of poverty, Rhodes-Conway said.

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