California Legislature Greenlights Five Reparations Bills from Black Caucus for Governor Newsom's Consideration

Assembly Bill (AB) 62, introduced by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor from Inglewood, successfully passed in the Assembly with a 66-4 vote on September 9. It now awaits Government Gavin Newsom’s decision before October 12. This bill is part of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) comprehensive “Road to Repair” initiative, focused on providing restitution to victims of racially driven eminent domain actions and their descendants. McKinnor expressed optimism about the bill's future impact, stating it not only aids descendants of chattel slavery but benefits all Californians whose property was taken unjustly. The bill characterizes “racially motivated eminent domain” as property acquisition influenced by race or ethnicity, without fair compensation. The California Civil Rights Department will oversee claims from dispossessed individuals. Meanwhile, other reparations-related measures are progressing, like AB 766 and AB 742, which push for racial equity analysis and expedited application processes for descendants of American slaves, respectively.