Texas senator says the plan to give poor residents a $500 guaranteed basic income is unconstitutional

• A Texas state senator is challenging the constitutionality of a guaranteed basic income program.
• Harris County, which includes Houston, plans to give qualifying residents $500 a month.
• The congressman asked the state attorney general to issue a legal opinion on the program.

A Texas state senator says a Houston-area program to give people $500 a month with no strings attached should be declared unconstitutional.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt sent a letter on January 12 to the state attorney general asking him to issue an opinion on whether counties have the authority to enact guaranteed income programs.