California slavery reparations bills unraveled over Gavin Newsom amendments

Aug 31, 2024 Story by: Editor

SACRAMENTO, California — Tensions flared at the Capitol on Saturday afternoon, sparked by two bills from a departing state senator aimed at advancing the movement for slavery reparations.

Governor Gavin Newsom requested significant changes to one of the bills, leading to a dispute between the bill’s sponsor, Democratic Senator Steven Bradford, and some members of the Legislative Black Caucus.

Bradford and other supporters of the state’s ongoing efforts to address the effects of institutional racism said that Newsom’s team pushed to substantially scale back the proposal for establishing a state reparations agency . Instead, the revisions would limit the scope to authorizing further study on the issue.

Draft amendments, obtained by POLITICO on Saturday but dated from Monday, proposed allocating $6 million to California State University for research on implementing the state’s reparations task force recommendations, such as verifying the eligibility of individuals seeking reparations. The amendments, however, removed the bill's key objective: creating a new Freedmen Affairs Agency.

Bradford’s office confirmed that the draft was genuine and originated from the Newsom administration. According to the senator, the governor’s office justified the changes by pointing to budget constraints, noting that California had to make billions in cuts this year.

When asked about the governor’s involvement, Newsom’s spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, declined to comment on the specifics, saying only that Newsom has been “working collaboratively with the Legislative Black Caucus on their reparations package.” He referenced a detailed statement Newsom made during his January budget presentation.

Last year, the state’s reparations task force published a comprehensive report with numerous recommendations after extensive research and public testimony. The two bills in question were part of over a dozen legislative proposals stemming from the task force’s findings. Members of the Black Caucus have expressed their intention to work on implementing these findings over several years.

The 2020 bill that established the reparations task force was authored by Shirley Weber, now California’s secretary of state, when she was an Assembly member.

Several reparations-related bills from the California Legislative Black Caucus were passed by the Legislature this year. Among them was one from Bradford that created a process for Californians whose land was taken through eminent domain to reclaim it. Another bill, from Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, mandates a formal apology from the state for slavery, racism, and discrimination.

Having served on the reparations task force himself, Bradford rejected the governor’s proposed amendments on Saturday. He hinted that his refusal may have led California Legislative Black Caucus leaders to delay the bills, stating that he disagreed with their decision to “only hold them now because of the possible concerns that have been expressed by the administration.”

“There are challenges with every piece of legislation,” Bradford said. “That doesn’t mean you don’t move forward with it.”

Chris Lodgson, lead organizer for the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California, said that Black Caucus members feared potential vetoes would negatively impact the other reparations bills.

Lodgson was one of the activists gathered in the Capitol rotunda on Saturday, calling out bill numbers to Black Caucus members as they headed in to vote.

“This is your mother’s bill,” one person shouted at Democratic Assemblymember Akilah Weber, daughter of Shirley Weber . “Don’t let them destroy your mother’s legacy.”

Earlier that day, Caucus chair Lori Wilson acknowledged that the administration had requested changes to the bill but denied claims that the governor’s office aimed to turn the proposal into a study. “That is not true,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that that information was put out there. There was no way, shape or form that the Newsom administration recommended further study.”

When asked about the amendments obtained by POLITICO, Wilson explained that they were just part of a broader conversation and did not represent the final changes the caucus had sought. Nor would they be in the final version when the bill is reintroduced next year.

Lodgson voiced his frustration, saying he was “outraged” that “it’s our own damn people” blocking the bills from progressing to a vote.

“If the governor wants to veto the bills, don’t call your Black legislators and tell them to stop the bills from coming to your desk first,” he said. “You be a man. Veto the bills with your chest and stand on that as a man.” Source: Politico