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State Lawmaker Introduces Universal Basic Income Bill; Californians Over 18 Would Get $1K Per Month

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A state lawmaker has introduced a universal basic income bill that would give every Californian $1,000 per month.

AB 2712 was introduced by Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) on Thursday.

The bill would create a California Universal Basic Income Program (CalUBI) where residents over 18-years-old would receive $1,000 per month. As written, the bill would only exempt people who are already getting Medi-Cal, County Medical Services Program, CalFresh, CalWorks or Unemployment Insurance from getting the universal basic income.

RELATED: Testing The Impact Of Universal Basic Income In Stockton

Low's bill would pay for the CalUBI program with a 10 percent value-added tax on goods and services in California.

One California city, Stockton, has already been experimenting with a basic income program where 125 residents were selected at random from low-income neighborhoods to get $500 per month.

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs offered a word of caution against Low's bill, however.

"Haven't read the details yet but conceptually I am still opposed to any plan that would exclude those on existing benefits or have them give up their benefits in exchange for a ubi, especially while other people not on benefits do not have to lose anything to gain," Tubbs tweeted when asked about the proposal.

No taxpayer money went into funding for Stockton's basic income program.

Low invoked former Democratic presidential candidate hopeful Andrew Yang in a tweet announcing his bill. Yang had made a push for universal basic income one of the pillars of his campaign.

The California universal basic income bill will have a steep hill to climb before it becomes law. It will need to get through committee, then need a majority vote.

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