California Reparations Committee Meets to Discuss Eligibility

California’s committee to discus reparations for slavery will meet Wednesday in Oakland to discuss eligibility requirements for payments from the state — a state that entered the Union as a free state in 1850.

As Breitbart News has reported, the California legislature passed, and Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed, a law in 2020 to consider reparations in the wake of nationwide race riots and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Earlier this year, the committee narrowly voted 5-4 to limit eligibility to the descendants of slaves. But it still has to wok out further details before presenting a proposal to the legislature next year, the Associated Press reports:

The first-in-the-nation task force previously voted to limit reparations to Black California residents whose ancestors were living in the United States in the 19th century. This week, the group will talk about whether there could be additional eligibility requirements and what time frame reparations could hinge on.
The group will also discuss how the state may address its impact on Black families whose property was seized through eminent domain, a topic that garnered renewed attention after lawmakers last year voted to allow the return of a beachfront property known as Bruce’s Beach to descendants of Black residents from whom it was taken in the 20th century.

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The task force has a July 1 deadline to complete its final report for the Legislature listing recommendations for how the state can address its legacy of discriminatory policies against Black Californians. The group’s work contrasts from similar efforts that have stalled in Congress.

The oddity of reparations in a free state is partly explained by the fact that, as on climate change, California wants to set an example for the rest of the country rather than actually hoping to solve a local problem.

In an interim report, the committee recommended several steps, including segregated black schools.

California’s reparations could amount to $233,000 per eligible individual, according to a recent estimate.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.