California Reparations Task Force meets in San Diego with new pressure on them

The California Reparations Task Force met Friday at San Diego State University for a two-day series of meetings that focused on both cash and in-kind payments. Secretary of State Shirley Weber stressed that by the time the reparations proposal is due in July, the military needs to come up with a “game-changing” recommendation.

The Task Force was first formed in late 2020 after Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 3121 Assemblyman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) who established it. They are currently seeking possible reparations, monetary or otherwise, to recommend to African Americans living in California for past discriminatory practices and slavery, despite the fact that California was never a slave state. Initially covering all people of African descent, the group of people eligible for reparations was significantly narrowed in March 2022 when the task force voted to limit possible reparations to only those who are an African American descendant of an enslaved person or a free black person. lived in the United States until the end of the 19th century.

In June 2022, the Task Force’s first report came out making recommendations for redress, likely in the form of home buying assistance, free college tuition, and business grants. However, one of the many criticisms of the report was that no ballpark dollar figure was attached, and many were concerned about how high it might be. In early December, the state provided an estimate of $569 billion, sparking an uproar and threats of lawsuits if the figure proved true. Later that month, compensation payments and eligibility requirements were discussed.

With the public now largely opposed to such a high total payment of $569 billion, the Task Force met again on Friday to see what payments might be feasible. However, as lawmakers have placed additional burdens on the Task Force in recent days to make California’s system a model for nationwide reparations, and are looking beyond any payments for the sake of long-term sense, the Task Force must now make the recommendation more acceptable to more than just Californians. , but also now to make sure that most states are fine with this.

“I truly believe that the rest of the country is following along with California,” Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-LA) said Thursday. “So our reparations task force… will be a benchmark that every state that studies this, every city, municipality across the country, and then a nationwide discussion will take what we put together, our plan, and then try to define as a base, what national reparations should be.”

Reparations Working Group meets in San Diego

During Monday’s meeting, Weber reiterated that statement, telling the Task Force, “You have to make sure your recommendations have a long-term impact. You are solving some of the most important problems in the state.” She also mentioned the important role she believes California plays in the reparations movement. We never seem to cross the line and make progress. So California can do it. California is always doing innovative things. We have the brains and the knowledge to do it if we want to.”

However, the long-term impact means that California must first pass a bill to take it to the next level, with most Republicans and Democrats in both the Assembly and the Senate gawking at the high cost, messy determinations of who will be eligible and how it will be paid, as well as questions about whether reparations are needed at all.

“The Task Force has lost much of its momentum since its original adoption, and 68% of Americans oppose reparations, with the majority supporting them from all age demographics, all political demographics, and all levels of education,” Legal Counsel Richard. Weaver told the Globe on Friday. “The numbers for California are a little skewed as California leans more than other states and has a much lower percentage of African Americans than other states, but even there the majority oppose them.”

“So, those are the obstacles right now. They’re extremely unpopular, and the Task Force will need to come up with some kind of proposal that everyone can agree on to stand a chance. Even if it passes in both houses and Newsom signs it, they will have to contend with both groups wanting to block it and voters, which is likely, as well as legal issues that have many groups and lawyers out there. on the spot to file a claim if it ever gets accepted in California. Big money will be at stake, and some lawmakers are overestimating how liberal California can be. Remember that this is the same state that repeatedly voted against affirmative action and rejected reparations in the past.”

“That’s why they say now we need to try to make a bigger impact outside of money. They want it to go national, but they also want people to support it. And now it’s still not popular.”

The Task Force will have until July to come up with a proposal for reparations.

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