A St. Louis judge has put a pause on a city program that pays low-income families $500 a month in guaranteed basic income while a lawsuit challenging the program proceeds.
Circuit Judge Joseph P. Whyte on Thursday ruled that the plaintiffs of a lawsuit that aims to stop the program have made arguments sufficient to suspend it.
More than 500 St. Louis families won’t receive another payment from the city’s guaranteed basic income program until the lawsuit is resolved.
Mayor Tishaura Jones signed the pilot program into law in December 2022, and families received their first $500 payments the following year. Funding came from $5 million in federal COVID relief funds and a $1 million donation from tech entrepreneur Jack Dorsey. The program was set to end in mid-2025.
Attorneys from the Holy Joe Society filed suit against the city in June on behalf of residents Greg Tumlin and Fred Hale. Bevis Schock, an attorney with the firm, said the guaranteed basic income program violates the Missouri Constitution and city charter.
“The oath of office for city officials specifically says they won't give gifts to private individuals,” Schock said. “The constitution prohibits gifts to a private individual and a private corporation. ... It's a policy question whether we ought to give money to poor people. It's a constitutional question whether it's allowed.”
City lawyers have said that the program is constitutional, since the money aims to stabilize families and benefit the local economy. Families receiving payments made less than $53,000 annually before applying. The city restricted the program to St. Louis residents with children in a city public or charter school. They could spend the additional money anywhere.
Whyte ordered city officials to cancel this month’s payments, writing that once made, they “would be nearly impossible to recover.”
Jones said in a statement that the city will follow the judge’s order.
"We are exploring our legal options, and my administration continues to find every avenue possible to support the families of St. Louis City,” Jones said.
