California Assemblyman Tearfully Defends Reparations Bill

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman June 23, 2024 The bill advanced despite the criticisms of one Republican lawmaker. A Democratic assemblyman in California went viral after tearfully defended a proposed reparations bills. A Republican lawmaker argued that nonwhite residents should not have to pay for reparations. The bill, titled SB 1331, followed recommendations by the state’s reparations task force, per the New York Post. Despite its advancement from a vote by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, the potential legislation still faces pushback, specifically from Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez. Sanchez argued that minorities make up more than half of California’s population, specifically Latino and Asian. Sanchez also identifies as Hispanic. She stated they “had nothing to do with slavery, discrimination, Jim Crow laws” and do not need to pay toward reparations. According to economists, the cost of reparations for Black Californians could total over $800 billion. “To pay for that, you’d need a major tax hike unlike anything this state has ever seen before,” explained Sanchez. “I recognize and acknowledge the painful part of our history, [but] the pains of our past should not be paid by the people of today.”  However, Assemblyman Ash Kalra teared up as he explained the necessity of reparations, especially...