California Task Force Will Consider Paying Reparations for Slavery

On Wednesday, California’s Governor Gavin Newsome signed a study into law that will develop and propose potential reparations for descendants of slaves and those impacted by slavery.

California becomes the first state to sign such a law onto the books. Of its bipartisan support, Newsome said the passing of Assembly Bill 3121 is proving “a paradigm that we hope will be resonant all across the United States,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Under the new law, a task force will be created, comprised of nine members appointed by the governor and other legislative leaders, to take a deep dive into the lasting consequences of slavery, not only in California but also in the United States. The task force will also make recommendations on who would be compensated.

Once the task force begins making recommendations, another law will need to be passed to approve reparations.

Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), who authored the bill, hopes that reparations will go beyond just cash payments.

“California has come to terms with many of its issues, but it has yet to come to terms with its role in slavery,” Weber said. “We’re talking about really addressing the issues of justice and fairness in this country that we have to address.”