Demonstrations break out at California State Capitol following the postponement of reparations legislation

On Saturday, a pair of bills related to reparations for the descendants of enslaved Black Americans in California failed to pass in the legislature.

Democrat state Senator Steven Bradford of Inglewood proposed two bills: Senate Bill 1331, which would have established a new state fund for reparations, and Senate Bill 1403, which would have created a state agency to oversee these efforts and determine eligibility.

Some lawmakers viewed these measures as crucial elements of their ambitious plan to pass legislation addressing the legacy of racist policies that resulted in disparities for Black people in various areas, including housing, education, and health.

The California legislature passed several bills to address past racial injustices, but none of them offered direct payments to African-Americans.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's potential veto of the bills was the reason they didn't progress, according to Bradford.

As the Black Caucus, we owe it to the descendants of chattel slavery, Black Californians, and Black Americans to move this legislation forward, said Bradford, urging his colleagues to reconsider Saturday afternoon.

Assemblymember Lori Wilson, chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, stated on Saturday that the Caucus had withdrawn the bills, indicating that the proposals required further refinement.

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) stated that it was unable to participate in the legislative process collectively and only recently became aware of the concerns with [SB 1403].

"The CLBC has decided not to move Senate Bill 1331 forward this year as the amendment deadline has passed."

On Saturday, a demonstration took place at the Capitol with a group of protesters advocating for reparations.

The Coalition for a Just & Equitable California claimed that CLBC refused to vote on the bills, even though they had the necessary votes to pass them.

The group wrote on X: "This type of betrayal cannot go unanswered. There must be a political price to pay. Politicians of any race or party cannot disrespect Black Americans without expecting political consequences. We are not captured. We do not belong to any party or special interest. We are the living embodiment of our Ancestors who built this state and country over 400 years and are owed Reparations. We're HERE, demanding our checks and more."

Despite years of promising to pay direct cash reparations to Americans harmed by slavery, Democrats were accused by Essayli of going into hiding and refusing to bring the bills up for a vote when it was time to pass them.

Essayli stated that he had a good faith dialogue with the bills' supporters but clarified that he did not support California taxpayers paying for the wrongs of slave states. Instead, he believed there should be a debate and a recorded vote on the issue.

"Politicians should not make promises to voters and then avoid accountability when it comes to fulfilling those promises, Essayli argued. At the very least, voters deserve to hear their elected representatives' stance on the issue."

SB 1331 and 1403 were put on the inactive file before midnight.

The Democrat governor has not commented on most reparations-related legislation, but he signed a $300 billion budget in June that included up to $12 million for reparations legislation. Despite this, his administration has expressed opposition to some of the proposals, and he has until September 30 to decide whether to sign the other bills that have passed into law.

The governor's office stated on Saturday that the governor had thoroughly analyzed and stress-tested the Reparations report, taking into account the state's current actions and future plans, as well as constitutional constraints. The governor had been closely collaborating with the Black Caucus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.