What is the proposed amount of reparations by the California Reparations Task Force?

California’s Reparations Task Force Votes on Ambitious Package

The fallout surrounding the death of George Floyd in 2020 led to the creation of California’s Reparations Task Force. On Saturday, May 6, the task force will vote on its most ambitious reparations package yet at Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, California. The proposals include a range of new, costly measures aimed at addressing the state’s liability in racist practices that affected the black community.

What is the California Reparations Task Force?

The California Reparations Task Force is a nine-member group created through Assembly Bill 3121 on Sept. 20, 2020. The force was tasked with researching California’s liability in racist practices that affected the black community and coming up with a proper figure of financial compensation. The task force has been given the authority to hold hearings, hear witness testimony, and request the production of evidence.

The purpose of the committee is to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans, recommend appropriate ways to educate the California public of the task force’s findings, and recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the Task Force’s findings.

What is the task force proposing in terms of reparations?

The task force has recommended a wide variety of reparations measures, including massive monetary payments, debt forgiveness, and programs dedicated specifically to black residents. The latest proposal could see payments of up to $1.2 million sent to some black residents, and significant sums to others. The new proposal aims to send payments on a structured system based on the amount of time spent in California, and the number of alleged harms committed against them.

However, the monetary compensation is only the beginning. Task force member Lisa Holder wrote in March that aside from the monetary aspect, the other proposals would be revolutionary, and touch upon every aspect of society. “Reparations will include programs that disrupt racism within our major institutions. These programs will be in housing, criminal-legal systems, education, health and medicine, and financial wealth and asset-building infrastructure. Fixing systemic racism and rehabilitating institutions will require major changes to these sectors,” she wrote.

How much would the reparations cost?

The final price tag of the reparations is still under speculation. While a ballpark figure can be reached for the monetary payments, the full cost of the multitude of programs being proposed is difficult to calculate. The calculation of the monetary total in March, prior to the newest proposals, came to a final cost of roughly $640 billion. A more recent estimate put the cost at around $800 billion; nearly 2.5 times the entire state budget of California. All this comes as the state faces a $22.5 billion budget deficit for the coming fiscal year.

Will the reparations proposals be approved?

The immense cost of the proposals make them unlikely to be passed by the legislature when put to vote in July. If they do get past the legislature, likely in a narrow vote, it will then go to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk, who seems hesitant to even address the issue, despite approving the task force in 2020. The California governor has been silent on the issue, as he struggles between fiscal responsibility and appealing to his liberal base. If he declines to approve or lend support to the proposals, he risks angering the same people he pleased when approving the task force three years ago.