California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom praised the work of his state’s appointed Reparations Task Force – which he said had done important work to “advance systemic changes” — but stopped short of endorsing its recommendation for cash payouts of up to $1.2 million.
Newsom, who appointed five of the nine members of the task force, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that finding a way to address the “legacy” left behind by the institution of slavery was a complicated issue that was “about much more than cash payments.”
“The Reparations Task Force’s independent findings and recommendations are a milestone in our bipartisan effort to advance justice and promote healing. This has been an important process, and we should continue to work as a nation to reconcile our original sin of slavery and understand how that history has shaped our country,” Newsom told the outlet.
“Dealing with that legacy is about much more than cash payments. Many of the recommendations put forward by the Task Force are critical action items we’ve already been hard at work addressing: breaking down barriers to vote, bolstering resources to address hate, enacting sweeping law enforcement and justice reforms to build trust and safety, strengthening economic mobility — all while investing billions to root out disparities and improve equity in housing, education, healthcare, and well beyond,” Newsom continued. “This work must continue.”
“Following the Task Force’s submission of its final report this summer, I look forward to a continued partnership with the Legislature to advance systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians,” he said, noting that while some of the work had already begun, he was committed to continued efforts to “advance systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians.”
The task force, as Newsom noted, is set to submit a final report later this summer — and the California State Legislature could then determine a path forward for their recommendations, sending it to Newsom for his signature after that.
The recommendations as they stand currently are based on how long residents have lived in California — and what kind of discriminatory policies may have affected them in that time — and call for payments ranging from several thousand dollars to more than $1 million.
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As the Fox News Digital Report breaks down some of the numbers, black residents who were impacted by bank red-lining and lived in California between the early 1930s and the late 1970s could receive $3366 per year — up to $148,099. Similarly, black residents who lived in the state between 1970 and 2020 could receive an additional $2,352 per year because of “over-policing and mass incarceration.” For some black residents, the total payout could be as high as $1.2 million.
According to a report from The New York Post, the total reparations bill could land in the neighborhood of $800 billion — more than double California’s annual budget.