Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
California lawmakers are regrouping after Governor Gavin Newsom signed and vetoed a slate of reparations-related measures, per CalMatters.
Last week, Newsom signed legislation creating the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, a new agency within the state’s Civil Rights Department that will serve as the foundation for implementing reparations. The bill, authored by Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), establishes divisions for genealogy, education and outreach, and legal affairs.
Newsom also approved Senate Bill 437, which allocates up to $6 million for the California State University system to develop methods for verifying descendants of enslaved people seeking benefits.
However, the governor vetoed five other bills backed by the California Legislative Black Caucus, including proposals that would have allowed colleges to prioritize descendants of enslaved people and created a restitution process for victims of racially motivated eminent domain. Newsom cited fiscal concerns, legal risks, and redundancy with existing law as reasons for vetoing the bills. One measure, which would have earmarked 10 percent of a state-backed home loan program for descendants of enslaved people, was rejected over what Newsom described as “legal risks” and potential threats to federal funding.
“We have been able to deliver some significant wins with the assistance of our governor,” Weber Pierson, who chairs the California Legislative Black Caucus, said. “That being said, of course some of our bills were vetoed. You never get everything you want.”
The vetoed bills were part of the caucus’ “Road to Repair” package, which includes 16 priority measures drawn from the state Reparations Task Force’s 2023 recommendations. The landmark report outlined over 100 proposals to address the enduring effects of slavery and systemic racism in California.
Weber Pierson said the caucus will meet in the coming weeks to strategize next steps.
“With any veto message, we need to go back and see if there’s a different way we can approach a solution,” she said. “A veto is never a ‘no.’ It may be a ‘no for now,’ or a ‘let’s try something different.’”
Lisa Holder, a civil rights attorney and former task force member, called the creation of the new bureau “historic.”
“African Americans have been fighting for reparations since emancipation,” Holder said. “This is a significant step … California is building a home for harm repair with the seal of approval of the state government.”
However, Chris Lodgson, a spokesperson for the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California, argued the newly signed measures would delay rather than deliver repair.
“This is delay by design,” Lodgson said. “We think we can start the repair sooner rather than later. A better way forward wouldn’t need more years of study and more bureaucracy.”
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