The California state Senate passed three significant reparations bills on Tuesday, moving forward a legislative initiative aimed at providing restitution to descendants of slaves.
The proposed legislation seeks to issue an apology to Black Californians for the state’s historical role in enacting slave laws and discriminatory practices, and are part of a broader effort by the California Legislative Black Caucus, which introduced over a dozen reparations bills earlier this year. The bills will now proceed to the California State Assembly for further votes.
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In January, California introduced a comprehensive package of reparations bills, which included provisions for property compensation and cash payouts to descendants of slaves and other Black Californians. Previous bills, such as those providing homeownership aid and property tax relief for descendants of slaves, were voted down by the assembly.
One of the newly passed bills, SB 1403, focuses on the establishment of the California Freedmen Affairs Agency. This agency would ensure that recipients of potential reparations meet eligibility criteria, requiring them to be descendants of slaves or free Black individuals living in the U.S. before the end of the 19th century.
SB 1050 mandates that the California Freedmen Affairs Agency compensate families whose property was seized through “race-based” eminent domain. SB 1331 allocates funds for reparations policies signed into law by the governor, as reported by ABC7.
Democrat state Senator Steven Bradford of Southern California, who authored the three bills, stated on the Senate floor, “If you can inherit generational wealth, you can inherit generational debt.” He emphasized, “Reparations is a debt that’s owed to descendants of slavery. These are not a handout or charity by any measure. It is what was promised, it’s what is owed and what is 160 years overdue.”
These legislative efforts follow the California Assembly’s recent passage of a bill acknowledging responsibility for historical harms and atrocities committed by the state. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas highlighted the state’s complicity in the oppression of African Americans, noting that “California’s history is tarnished by the subjugation of Black people” and stressing the need for healing.
California’s actions are part of a broader trend, with local and state governments across the U.S. establishing task forces to recommend reparations measures. In Boston, Massachusetts, task force members are proposing reparations measures based on historical research for City Hall’s consideration. New York Governor Kathy Hochul established a reparations task force in December of last year.
Governor Gavin Newsom has also commissioned a reparations task force to identify best practices for implementation. However, a poll released in September indicated that a majority of California voters oppose cash payments to qualifying Black residents.
