Governor signs legislation
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation aimed at addressing the ongoing legacy of slavery and racial discrimination in California. Some findings of the California Reparations Task Force informed the approved legislation, which was part of the California Legislative Black Caucus’s 2024 reparations legislative package. When established in 2020, the Reparations Task Force was the first of its kind in the nation to study and develop proposals for reparations for African Americans.
The Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition actively supported all of these items based on the recommendation of its Racial Justice Task Force.
List of Legislation Approved
The bills approved in the legislature include:
Bills Signed by the Governor
- ACA 8 (Wilson): This constitutional amendment strengthens California’s stance against slavery by prohibiting it “in any form.” This closes a loophole that previously allowed involuntary servitude in prison as punishment for a crime. This aligns with the Reparations Task Force’s call to “explicitly prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude in all their forms.” Once the legislature approves the constitutional amendment, it must receive voter confirmation. The result is Proposition 6, which will be on the ballot in November 2024.
- AB 3089 (Jones-Sawyer): This bill requires a formal apology from the State of California for its role in perpetuating the harms of chattel slavery and its enduring legacy. It acknowledges the state’s responsibility for “atrocities committed by the state, its representatives thereof, and entities under its jurisdiction.” The Reparations Task Force recommended a formal apology. On September 26, 2024, Governor Newsom signed this bill and the “California Apology for the Perpetration of Gross Human Rights Violations and Crimes Against Humanity, with Special Consideration for African Slaves and Their Descendants.”
- AB 1986 (Bryan): This bill increases transparency around banned books in state prisons. It requires the Office of the Inspector General to post and review the list. It addresses concerns about limiting access to information and educational materials, echoing the Task Force’s focus on educational disparities. Governor Newsom signed this bill on September 26, 2024.
- AB 2319 (Wilson): This bill expands on the California Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act by requiring hospitals to provide implicit bias training to staff interacting with perinatal patients. It aims to reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes, an issue identified by the Task Force as stemming from the legacy of slavery. Governor Newsom signed this bill on September 26, 2024.
One Bill was Vetoed by the Governor
- SB 1050 (Bradford): Also known as the “California American Freedmen Affairs Agency: racially motivated eminent domain.” It would establish a process for individuals to seek compensation for property taken through racially motivated eminent domain. This means the government seized private property for public use, but racial discrimination drove the taking or the failure to provide just compensation. The bill also assigned responsibility for this process to an Office of Legal Affairs within the California American Freedman Affairs Agency, which would have been created by SB 1403. Governor Newsome vetoed SB 1050 because the Senate did not pass SB 1403, so the agency did not exist.
This approved legislation represents significant steps in California’s efforts to address its historical involvement in slavery and its ongoing consequences. The measures do not provide financial reparations, but they address systemic issues and fulfill some of the recommendations of the Reparations Task Force. Many will closely track the impact of these legislative actions as California grapples with racial justice and equity issues.
Read the articles below or the Racial Justice Task Force page for further information.
