In a controversial move that has ignited protests and heightened political tensions, the California state legislature has held off on two key bills that would have advanced the state’s efforts toward slavery reparations.
On the final day of the legislative year, lawmakers left Senate Bills 1403 and 1331 off the voting agenda. These bills, which would have established a fund and an agency to oversee reparation measures, were part of a broader package aimed at addressing historical injustices against Black Americans.
The decision not to bring the bills to a vote sparked immediate backlash from Black activists present at the California Assembly. Members of the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California voiced their frustration in the rotunda, demanding immediate action.
“The speaker needs to bring the bills up now, now, now,” said one activist, who accused lawmakers of “killing their own bills because they’re scared of the governor.”
In a pointed message to Governor Gavin Newsom, another activist warned of potential political consequences. “This is gonna have a direct impact on your friend Kamala Harris who is running for president,” she stated, highlighting the national implications of California’s reparations debate.
State Sen. Steven Bradford, author of the stalled bills, expressed disappointment and urged his colleagues to reconsider. “We’re at the finish line, and we, as the Black Caucus, owe it to the descendants of chattel slavery, to Black Californians and Black Americans, to move this legislation forward,” Bradford said.
However, Assemblymember Lori Wilson, chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, defended the decision to pull the bills, stating they needed more work. “We knew from the very beginning that it was an uphill battle…. And we also knew from the very beginning that it would be a multiyear effort,” Wilson told reporters.
The legislature did approve other related measures, including proposals for returning unjustly seized property and issuing a formal apology for laws that have harmed Black people. However, these bills fall short of providing direct payments to African Americans, a key demand of reparations advocates.
Governor Newsom, who has until September 30 to decide on the bills that passed, has remained largely silent on the issue. His administration signed a $297.9 billion budget in June that included up to $12 million for reparations legislation, but without specifying how the funds would be used.
This latest development comes two years after California established a first-in-the-nation task force to study reparations proposals. The task force released a comprehensive report last year with over 100 recommendations for lawmakers.
As the debate continues, the stalled bills highlight the complex political landscape surrounding reparations efforts in California and potentially set the stage for further negotiations in the coming legislative session.