Newark, NJ Adopts Guaranteed Income Resolution

February 25, 2021, Newark, NJ - In a unanimous decision, the Newark City Council has voted in support of a resolution to establish a guaranteed income. The resolution further solidifies the city’s commitment to advancing cash-based policies under the leadership of Mayor Ras J. Baraka, a member of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI).

"Like too many cities across the country, we in Newark are feeling the intense pressure of economic fallout. Direct support in the form of cash payments allows members of our community to regain a semblance of control in the midst of a crisis that has stripped so much of it away,” said Mayor Baraka. “It's on us as local leaders to work together and provide this critical financial lifeline to residents of our cities, and beyond." 

The full text of the resolution, passed on February 3, can be found here. 

Founded in June of 2020 by former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, MGI is a coalition of 40 mayors committed to advancing a federal guaranteed income – direct, recurring cash payments to the poor and middle class.

MGI member cities are eligible for up to $500,000 in pilot funding, thanks to a recent $15M donation by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. A pilot in Newark is planned to launch in early 2021, with details currently being finalized. In addition to pilots, MGI also advocates for cash-based policies at the federal level. There are currently at least 10 Congressional bills to provide pandemic-related payments to struggling Americans, and support for $2,000 checks helped drive the Democratic Senate wins in Georgia.

MGI, together with the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, has also established the Center for Guaranteed Income Research to consolidate the key learnings from the pilots taking place in MGI member cities to address knowledge gaps and allow the organization to layer data with anecdotal evidence.

###

CONTACT: Saadia McConville
info@mayorsforagi.org