Andrew Yang wants to give 2 people in SC $1,000 a month for a year
At a time when many Americans are struggling financially due to the COVID-19 outbreak, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang wants to conduct an economic experiment in South Carolina.
Yang announced Friday a “universal basic income demonstration” in the Palmetto State. Yang’s non-profit Humanity Forward will select two residents of Richland and Kershaw counties to receive $1,000 a month for 12 months.
Applicants can sign up on Humanity Forward’s website for the program. Applications will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 31.
The program is a spin-off of Yang’s signature policy idea from his 2020 presidential campaign. When he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination, the entrepreneur promised each American would receive a “freedom dividend” of $1,000 a month. The proposal would create what’s called a universal basic income — the idea that regular cash payments with no strings attached are an effective way to combat poverty.
Since the end of Yang’s presidential campaign, Humanity Forward has launched a similar project in Washington state, and plans to begin paying a similar amount to 20 selected individuals in Hudson, N.Y., later this year.
The announcement comes after many Americans received a $1,200 stimulus check this spring from the federal government. The cash payments were meant to keep households afloat during the economic shutdown imposed by restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak.
Earlier this month, Yang announced Humanity Forward would endorse Democratic S.C. House candidate Jermaine Johnson, running in Richland County’s District 80. Johnson served as Yang’s S.C. campaign chairman ahead of February’s presidential primary. He’s now running for the seat held by S.C. Rep. Jimmy Bales, D-Richland.
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