Two reparations bills, championed by Democrat Sen. Steven Bradford, are facing an uphill battle in the final days of California’s legislative session.
The bills, Senate Bills 1403 and 1331, aimed at creating a new state agency and fund to facilitate reparations for the descendants of enslaved African Americans, have encountered significant resistance from an unexpected source: Governor Gavin Newsom himself.
For context, California never had slavery within its state.
The push for reparations gained momentum earlier this year when the California Legislature’s Black Caucus introduced a slate of 14 bills, according to California Matters.
However, Sen. Bradford, who has been a vocal advocate on the issue and a member of the state’s reparations task force, took a more ambitious approach with his legislation.
His bills propose the establishment of the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency, which would assist Black Californians in researching their genealogy, confirming their eligibility for reparations, and expediting their claims.
The governor’s office, which has remained tight-lipped about its stance, has reportedly raised concerns about the financial implications of the bills, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Newsom’s administration attempted to water down Bradford’s proposal by suggesting that, rather than creating the new agency, the state should authorize California State University to further “study” the issue and recommend a process for determining eligibility.
This move has sparked outrage among advocates and Black leaders who argue that the state has already spent four years studying reparations and that it is time for action, not more delays.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that the committee wants $5 million in taxpayer funds just to come up with a plan for reparations.
With California recently closing a $47 billion budget deficit, the administration is wary of the potential costs associated with implementing a reparations program.
Latina California Republican Kate Sanchez expressed her concerns, highlighting the staggering potential costs associated with reparations—estimated at up to $800 billion.
“That is two and a half times the size of our entire state budget,” Sanchez argued. “To pay for that would require a tax hike unlike anything we’ve seen before.”
Black residents are voicing their anger and disappointment, with some issuing direct warnings to Newsom.
“The governor needs to understand that the world is watching California, and this is going to have a direct impact on your friend, Kamala Harris, who’s running for President,” one resident said. “Pull up the bills now, vote on them, and sign them… We have been waiting for 400 years.”
WATCH:
Pissed-off Black people in California are threatening Newsom, warning that if he doesn’t sign the Reparations bills, it will have a “direct impact” on his “friend, Kamala Harris, who is running for president.”
Someone needs to tell them that they are being replaced with illegals… pic.twitter.com/JFzl8WEKes
— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) September 1, 2024
