Hawaii just became the first US state to pass a bill supporting basic income

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Hawaii made waves in June when it passed the first piece of legislation aimed at exploring a niche but growing form of wealth distribution.

The bill, HCR 89, directs the government "to convene a basic economic security working group," a request that can be seen as the first tangible step toward a US basic income program.

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Lee says basic income is one of a few approaches he'll pursue to ensure all Hawaiians have economic security, particularly as automation threatens jobs in the state's service-based economy.

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After first hearing about basic income on Reddit "some years ago," Lee said he became intrigued by the idea of paying people a salary just for being alive. He especially thought about that idea in the context of a shifting American Dream.

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"Pursuing hard work enough to make a decent living no longer applies in an economy in which automation and innovation have taken that away from so many people," he said.

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