Gavin Newsom deals blow to reparations effort in California

California governor rejects bill that would have helped Black families reclaim property  By Sabrina Penty Published: 07:45 EDT, 27 September 2024 | Updated: 07:47 EDT, 27 September 2024 Governor Gavin Newsom has dealt a blow to reparations efforts in California that will see the state formally apologise for the lingering effects of slavery after he vetoed a key property bill.  The rejected Senate Bill 1050 would have helped Black families reclaim or be compensated for property that was unjustly seized by the government through racially motivated eminent domain.  The governor’s reasons for not going ahead with the property proposal are because  lawmakers blocked another bill to create a reparations agency that would have reviewed these claims, meaning the proposal wouldn’t have been able to come into full effect. ‘I thank the author for his commitment to redressing past racial injustices,’ Newsom said in a statement, referring to state Sen. Steven Bradford. ‘However, this bill tasks a nonexistent state agency to carry out its various provisions and requirements, making it impossible to implement.’  The legislation was part of a package of reparations bills introduced this year that seek to offer repair for decades of policies that drove racial disparities for African...