California lawmakers pass ambitious bills to atone for legacy of racism against Black residents

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers this week passed some of the nation’s most ambitious legislation aimed at atoning for a legacy of racist policies that drove disparities for Black people, from housing to education to health. None of the bills would provide widespread direct payments to African Americans. The state Legislature instead approved proposals allowing for the return of land or compensation to families whose property was unjustly seized by the government, and issuing a formal apology for laws and practices that have harmed Black people. But lawmakers left out two bills that would have created a fund and an agency to carry out the measures, considered key components of the efforts to take action. California Legislative Black Caucus Chair Assemblymember Lori Wilson said Saturday that the Black Caucus pulled the bills, adding the proposals need more work. “We knew from the very beginning that it was an uphill battle. … And we also knew from the very beginning that it would be a multiyear effort,” Wilson told reporters. Sen. Steven Bradford, who authored the measures, said the bills didn’t move forward out of fear Gov. Gavin Newsom would veto them. “We’re at the finish line, and we, as...