Governor Gavin Newsom has rejected the reparations task force’s recommendation that black residents receive up to $1.2 million in cash.
On Tuesday, Newsom told Fox News Digital that reparations, which are designed to atone for the country’s history of slavery and institutional racism, are “about much more than cash payments.”
According to him, the task force’s findings represent a significant step forward in the fight for justice.
“This has been an important process, and we should continue to work as a nation to reconcile our original sin of slavery and understand how that history has shaped our country,” Newsom said. “Dealing with that legacy is about much more than cash payments.”
Despite praising the work of the task force, he declined to endorse any specific recommendations.
“Many of the recommendations put forward by the Task Force are critical action items we’ve already been hard at work addressing: breaking down barriers to vote, bolstering resources to address hate, enacting sweeping law enforcement and justice reforms to build trust and safety, strengthening economic mobility — all while investing billions to root out disparities and improve equity in housing, education, healthcare, and well beyond,” he said.
On Saturday, the nine-member committee voted in support of several proposals, including paying eligible black Californians a minimum of $360,000 in checks.
To compensate black residents for their ancestors’ slavery or racist policies such as redlining, the task force recommended setting up a new agency to determine how much they should receive from the state.
As a result of a series of eligibility factors, like past incarceration and housing discrimination, the group’s proposed payments range from a few thousand to as much as $1.2 million.
According to some experts, the payouts may cost taxpayers up to $800 billion — more than 2.5 times California’s yearly budget.
In its report, the task force did not suggest where the money would come from.
California lawmakers are expected to receive the committee’s recommendations soon, and then they will decide if and how to enact them before sending them to Governor Newsom for approval.
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