On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a series of bills that would have advanced reparations in California.
- AB 7 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Postsecondary education: admissions preference: descendants of slavery. A veto message can be found here.
- AB 57 by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) – California Dream for All Program: descendants of formerly enslaved people. A veto message can be found here.
- AB 62 by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) – Civil Rights Department: racially motivated eminent domain. A veto message can be found here.
- AB 742 by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-South Los Angeles) – Department of Consumer Affairs: licensing: applicants who are descendants of slaves. A veto message can be found here.
- AB 766 by Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins (D-San Diego) – State agencies and departments: strategic plans: diversity, equity, and inclusion. A veto message can be found here.
The bills were vetoed after Newsom had approved SB 518 on October 10 which creates the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery. This establishes a dedicated state agency to oversee implementation of reparative justice policies and ensure follow-through on recommendations from the California Reparations Task Force. The bill was introduced by Senator Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson. (D-San Diego).
On Monday, the Governor signed AB 935 (Ransom)— would require the Civil Rights Department and the Department of Education to collect anonymized data to determine how complaints are handled. He also signed SB 464 (Smallwood-Cuevas)—seeks to expand employer-employee demographic data reporting to the Civil Rights Department for the purpose of enforcing civil rights protection under existing law. Another bill signed was SB 437 (Weber Pierson)—would require the California State University to independently research and report on scientific methodology to determine an individual’s genealogical fingerprint for the purpose of verification as a descendant of an enslaved person in the United States.
In August, the Governor signed SB 510 (Richardson)—requires complete and accurate K-12 curriculum regarding racial disparities, including impacts of segregation, slavery, and systemic discrimination.
Of the 16 bills introduced by the California Legislative Black Caucus in February, 4 bills were signed into law as of Monday. 5 bills was vetoed while 4 bills were either pulled or held in committee. ACA 6 and ACA 7 have no update.
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Assemblywoman Lori Wilson announces ACA 6. AD11 includes the Cities of: Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Oakley, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville and Vallejo.
Feb 20: California Legislative Black Caucus Announces 2025 Reparations Legislative Package
CLBC ROAD TO REPAIR 2025 PRIORITY BILL PACKAGE
- ACA 6 (Wilson)—would prohibit slavery in all forms
- ACA 7 (Jackson)—seeks to clarify Prop 209 to ensure state, county, and local institutions understand intent and parameters in current statute
- AB 7 (Bryan)—would authorize priority admissions for descendants of American chattel slavery to higher education institutions
- AB 57 (McKinnor)—seeks to allocate a portion of Home Purchase Assistance Funds to first-time home buyers who are descendants of American chattel slavery
- AB 62 (McKinnor)—seeks to create pathways for victims of racially-motivated eminent domain to seek redress
- AB 475 (Wilson)—seeks to require CDCR to develop voluntary work programs for institutional residents
- AB 742 (Elhawary)—seeks designate descendants of American chattel slavery for priority when issuing professional licenses
- AB 766 (Sharp-Collins)—seeks to, among other things, require racial equity analyses for Executive branch agencies and respond accordingly to further advance racial equity.
- AB 785 (Sharp-Collins)—would create the Community Violence Interdiction Grant Program and fund community-driven solutions to decrease violence in neighborhoods and schools
- AB 801 (Bonta)—would direct the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, in collaboration with the Civil Rights Department, to identify and address ongoing mortgage lending discrimination.
- AB 935 (Ransom)— would require the Civil Rights Department and the Department of Education to collect anonymized data to determine how complaints are handled.
- SB 437 (Weber Pierson)—would require the California State University to independently research and report on scientific methodology to determine an individual’s genealogical fingerprint for the purpose of verification as a descendant of an enslaved person in the United States.
- SB 464 (Smallwood-Cuevas)—seeks to expand employer-employee demographic data reporting to the Civil Rights Department for the purpose of enforcing civil rights protection under existing law.
- SB 503 (Weber Pierson)—seeks to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in critical healthcare applications to mitigate racial biases present in commercial algorithms.
- SB 510 (Richardson)—seeks to require complete and accurate K-12 curriculum regarding racial disparities, including impacts of segregation, slavery, and systemic discrimination.
- SB 518 (Weber Pierson)—would establish the Bureau of Descendants of American Slavery.
