California’s legislative progress on reparations continues as several bills aimed at addressing historical racial injustices have successfully passed initial Senate hearings. Authored by State Senator Steven Bradford, a key figure in the California Legislative Black Caucus and the state’s Reparations Task Force, these bills seek to address the wrongs of eminent domain abuses that disproportionately displaced Black Californians.
One of the bills, Senate Bill 1050, specifically targets the restitution of land or property unjustly taken from Black Californians through racially motivated eminent domain, which is the “lawful the power of the government to take private property and convert it to public use”. This bill, looking to right past wrongdoings, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 6-1 vote. The proposed legislation acknowledges the historical use of eminent domain as a tool to disrupt Black and brown communities, which significantly hindered their ability to accumulate generational wealth. During a period from 1949 to 1973, eminent domain was used to displace about 1 million people across 992 cities, with two-thirds being Black.
Additionally, Senate Bill 1403, also spearheaded by Bradford, aims to establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency. This agency would oversee the implementation of reparations, reflecting the functions of the 1865 Freedmen’s Bureau. It recently moved past the judiciary committee and is set for further review.
Senate Bill 1331 proposes the creation of a Fund for Reparations and Restorative Justice, which would allocate 6% of state budget reserves to reparations, matching the proportion of California’s Black population. This bill also encourages funding through various grants and donations, emphasizing that reparations should not detract from other state programs despite California’s current budget deficit.
Opposition from some quarters, particularly from Senator Roger Niello, underscores the controversy surrounding the financial implications for California taxpayers. Niello criticizes the burden being placed on state taxpayers for local injustices, highlighting the complex debate over responsibility and compensation in reparations policies.
