Campbell Assemblyman Proposes $1,000 Monthly Stipend

A Campbell political figure is again pushing a California universal basic income plan that would send adults $1,000 a month. (krcrtv.com) The proposal most widely tied to Campbell is Assembly Bill 2712, introduced in February 2020 by then-Assemblymember Evan Low, a Democrat who represented Assembly District 26. The bill called for $1,000 monthly payments to California residents age 18 and older. (thehill.com) That 2020 bill was not a blank check for every adult. Patch reported at the time that the version advancing in committee would have limited payments to adults who had lived in California for at least three years and earned up to 200% of their county’s median per-capita income. (patch.com) The funding idea in Low’s original bill was a new 10% value-added tax on many goods and services, with exemptions for food, clothing, medicine, medical supplies, and education costs. The bill also excluded some people already receiving benefits including Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs, and unemployment insurance. (thehill.com) California has moved ahead with narrower guaranteed-income programs instead of a statewide universal payment. The California Department of Social Services says the state pilot launched under the 2021-22 budget serves pregnant people and former foster youth, and a second pilot for adults 60 and older was added in the 2024-25 budget. (cdss.ca.gov) Those state pilots are much smaller than a universal plan. CapRadio reported in March 2025 that California’s guaranteed-income program started in 2023 with $35 million, provides monthly checks for 12 to 18 months, and had reached nearly 2,000 participants through seven nonprofits. (capradio.org) Supporters argue direct cash is simpler than heavily restricted aid and can help people cover rent, food, child care, and job transitions. CapRadio cited research on California programs showing participants had better access to food, lower rates of domestic violence, and stronger housing and employment outcomes. (capradio.org) Opponents have focused on cost and fairness. CapRadio reported that conservative lawmakers and taxpayer groups have called guaranteed income “redistribution,” while some backers of local pilots have also objected to plans that cut out people already on public benefits. (capradio.org; thehill.com) One point of confusion in the current coverage is the label “Campbell assemblyman.” Low is a former assemblymember, not a current one: he left the Assembly in December 2024, and Assembly District 26 is now represented by Patrick Ahrens. (ballotpedia.org; ahrens.asmdc.org) So the live question is not whether California has ever tested guaranteed income; it has. The question is whether lawmakers revive a statewide version large enough to send $1,000 every month to millions of adults, and how they would pay for it. (cdss.ca.gov; thehill.com)