Gavin Newsom says 'no' to reparations board's plan to give cash to eligible black Californians

California's Governor Gavin Newsom declined to endorse reparations payments, which could be as high as $1.2 million per person, for black residents, a plan recommended by the reparations task force he formed in 2021.

Newsom told Fox News that addressing the legacy of slavery "is about much more than cash payments." His state is also substantially in debt, and estimates indicate that were the reparations board's plans to be enacted, it could cost California some $800 billion.



"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 added.
 
Newsom promised to continue to "advance systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians." 

"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. This work must continue," he added. 

Newsom continued, "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." 

The reparations panel recommended payments based on types of historical discrimination. Black residents affected by redlining would have received $3,366 for each year they lived in California from the 1930s to the 1970s, which could have been a total as high as $148,099.

Black residents could have also received approximately $2,352 in compensation for over-policing and mass incarceration for each year they lived in California between 1970 and 2020 with payments possibly totaling as high as $115,260.

In total, a black Californian around the age of 71 that has lived in the state for their entire life and matched enough of the task force’s categories could receive a final payout of up to $1.2 million.

The task force’s final recommendations will be submitted to the California Legislature, which will then vote on the measures and possibly send them to Newsom's desk to be signed into law.