By Andrea Bernal
SACRAMENTO, CA – The leader of California’s Reparations Task Force has criticized California’s Legislative Black Caucus after it blocked the California Assembly here at the Capitol from voting on two reparations proposals, “including SB 1403 to establish a reparations agency and SB 1331 to establish a reparations fund.”
According to a recent article by KCRA 3—Saturday, the final night of the legislative session—the Black Caucus announced it would not bring the two reparations proposals, SB 1403 and SB 1331, up for final votes in the Assembly.
Tension arose among members of the caucus which KCRA 3 notes “flared into late Saturday night” because of the last minute decision.
KCRA 3 further points out that Democratic State Senator Steven Bradford (D-Los Angeles) had written the bills and even claimed the caucus was “scared of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto after Bradford refused to accept changes to SB 1403 proposed by the governor’s office.”
However, according to KCRA 3, Lori Wilson (D-Fairfield), Caucus leader and Democratic Assemblymember, denied Bradford’s statement and claimed that the bills “didn’t have enough votes.”
KCRA 3 notes Bill Essayli, Republican Assemblyman from Riverside, attempted to “force a vote on one of the measures” which ultimately sent Democrats “scrambling to figure out how to prevent a floor vote.”
However, the Assembly proceeded by “placing the bills on its inactive file” which effectively killed the proposals “without Bradford’s permission.”
In an interview on Tuesday, Kamilah Moore, the chair of California’s Reparations Task Force, told KCRA 3, “I think what happened on Saturday was unconscionable. What we saw was a complete betrayal by the California Legislative Black Caucus against their own constituents.”
Moore added to KCRA 3, “They chose to prioritize their own ego and their own self-interest over the people they claim to serve.”
According to KCRA 3, Moore had spent two years studying the impacts of slavery and racial discrimination on African Americans in California.
Moore noted SB 1403 was “meant to be the foundation of the state’s reparations efforts moving forward” and even pointed out that in other reparations efforts seen nationally and internationally, infrastructure was first put in place to set up to provide the restitution, material benefits, policies and programs.
KCRA 3 added in the article lawmakers had sent Gov. Newsom that SB 1050 was a “reparations task force recommendation that would provide a process for those who had their land unfairly taken through eminent domain.”
However, this bill would have had to go through the agency set up by SB 1403 which members of the Black Caucus rejected.
The article reveals Moore was actually at the Capitol with other reparations advocates who also protested the decision by the caucus.
Moore told KCRA 3, “I was really trying to plead, trying to use logic and reason to get through to these Black Caucus members to do the right thing.” She continued, “They were just completely disrespectful to their constituents.”
