A Democratic county supervisor in Iowa is criticizing state lawmakers, asserting that a recently enacted ban on guaranteed income programs is an example of the state "waging ideological wars" and hindering local efforts to combat poverty. Mandi Remington, a supervisor for Johnson County, stated that the legislation, signed into law by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds on May 1, 2024, prevents cities and counties from testing direct cash payments as a poverty-alleviation strategy.
Remington had hoped to implement a guaranteed income initiative in her county, inspired by pilot programs in other parts of the country. One such program, the UpLift trial in central Iowa, provided $500 per month for two years to 110 families. Remington argued that such policies could build on demonstrated successes elsewhere.
"We are supposedly a home rule state, but that's not what it seems like in practice," Remington told Fox News Digital. "I live in a blue dot in a red state and, essentially, anything that we try to do in these pockets that is not being done in other parts of the state automatically gets pushed back against."
Proponents of the ban, including Republican lawmakers, contend that government cash handouts undermine the work ethic, subsidize low wages, and foster dependency. Remington countered that these arguments lack evidence and ignore the potential benefits of guaranteed income.
"There's no room for doing research. There's no room for evaluating evidence. There's no interest in even hearing about evidence that has been found in other places," Remington said. "Because in their minds, whether they want to call it socialist or leftist or whatever term they throw at it, they have just lumped it into a certain ideological category because of where it's coming from."
In a published op-ed, Remington wrote, "Unfortunately, some of our state leaders are more interested in controlling local government and waging ideological wars than they are in passing policies that help everyday Iowans." She further stated, "The state’s ban on guaranteed income isn’t good policy, and it doesn’t help hard-working Iowans get by. It’s simply obstructionism without evidence."
Iowa is not alone in seeing Republican opposition to cash-assistance programs. In Michigan, Republican lawmakers have questioned a taxpayer-funded program for new mothers. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Harris County over its guaranteed income program, leading to a freeze by the Texas Supreme Court. Conversely, in Arizona, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill that would have prohibited local governments from enacting such programs.
The Economic Security Project, an advocacy organization that has helped establish over 100 guaranteed income pilots nationwide, defended these initiatives. Adriane Brown, the organization's Senior Communications Director, stated, "It doesn’t serve anyone to ban guaranteed income." She added that "lawmakers who voted to ban guaranteed income amid a cost-of-living crisis are out of touch and do not care about families."
Beyond political opposition, many guaranteed income programs face funding challenges. Numerous cities launched pilot programs using federal pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which must be fully spent by December 31, 2026. As these funds diminish, local leaders are seeking alternative revenue streams, a task complicated by the financial strain on nonprofit agencies and mutual aid organizations.
Remington noted that while the UpLift program found non-governmental funding, the broader issue of funding has become a challenge for government, private entities, and community agencies alike.