A pair of bills related to reparations for the descendants of enslaved Black Americans failed to pass the California legislature on Saturday after supporters said the bills would not advance.
Senate Bill 1331, authored by Democratic state Sen. Steven Bradford of Inglewood, would have created a new state fund for reparations, while Senate Bill 1403 would have established a state agency to oversee these efforts and determine who would be eligible.
The measures were seen as key components of ambitious efforts by some lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at atoning for what they said was a legacy of racist policies that created disparities for black people in everything from housing to education to health care.
While California's Democratic-led legislature has passed a number of other bills aimed at remedying past racial injustices, none of them would provide direct payments to African Americans.
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Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, right, speaks with members of the Coalition for a Fair and Equitable California about two reparations bills in the rotunda on the last day of the legislative year, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)
Bradford said the bills did not move forward out of fear that Gov. Gavin Newsom would veto them.
“We're at the finish line, and we as the Black Caucus owe it to the descendants of slavery, to Black Californians and to Black Americans, to get this legislation passed,” Bradford said, urging his colleagues to reconsider Saturday afternoon.
California Legislative Black Caucus Chairwoman Assemblywoman Lori Wilson said Saturday that the Black Caucus has withdrawn the bills, adding that the proposals need more work.
Members of the Coalition for a Fair and Equitable California protest and demand that lawmakers vote on two reparations bills in the rotunda on the last day of the legislative year, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)
“We knew from the beginning that it was an uphill battle… And we also knew from the beginning that it would be a multi-year effort,” Wilson told reporters.
In a statement posted on X, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) said it “could not participate in the legislative process collectively and only recently became aware of concerns with [SB 1403].”
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“We have already passed the deadline for submitting amendments, so the decision has been made to continue working on this bill and re-introduce it next session,” CLBC said. “As for the status of Senate Bill 1331, CLBC will not be introducing it this year.”
A group of pro-reparations protesters showed up at the Capitol on Saturday to demonstrate.
The Coalition for a Fair and Equitable California accused CLBC of refusing to put the bills to a vote despite having the votes to pass them.
“This kind of betrayal cannot go unchallenged. There must be a political price to pay. Gone are the days when politicians of any race or party could disrespect African Americans and expect no political consequences. We are not captured. We do not belong to any party or special interest. We are the living embodiment of our ancestors who built this state and this country for over 400 years and who are owed reparations. We came… No… We are HERE, to receive our checks and more,” the group wrote on X.
Members of the Coalition for a Fair and Equitable California protest and demand that lawmakers vote on two reparations bills in the rotunda on the last day of the legislative year, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)
California Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli of Corona made a motion to put the bills to a vote, but no other lawmakers seconded the motion.
In X, Essayli accused Democrats of “hiding” and refusing to bring bills up for a vote when it came time to pass them despite promising for years to “pay direct cash reparations to Americans who have been harmed by slavery.”
Essayli, who said he had engaged in good faith dialogue with supporters of the bills, clarified that he did not support California taxpayers paying for the wrongs of slave states, but “believed there should be a debate and a recorded vote on the issue.”
“Politicians cannot be allowed to make promises to the people who elect them and then hide like cowards when the time comes to speak publicly,” Essayli said. “At the very least, the people are owed a right to be heard and to have the opportunity to know where their elected representative stands on the issue.”
SB 1331 and 1403 were placed on the inactive file before midnight.
The Democratic governor has not weighed in on most other reparations-related bills, but in June he signed a nearly $300 billion budget that included up to $12 million for reparations legislation. The budget did not specify which proposals the money would be used for, however, and his administration has voiced opposition to some of them. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to decide whether to sign the other bills that became law.
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When the governor was reached for comment on Saturday, the governor's office pointed to Newsom's comments from earlier this year when he told reporters, “I have not [just] read [the Reparations report] —I've devoured it, I've analyzed it, I've put it through its paces in terms of things that we've done, things that we're doing, things that we'd like to do but can't do because of constitutional limitations. And I've been working closely with the Black Caucus.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
