California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes bill for Black land claims

Sep 26, 2024

Lauren Keenan Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Keenan (Anchor/Reporter), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have created a process for Black families to file claims for land taken through discriminatory use of eminent domain. The eminent domain bill was inspired by a 2022 case where Los Angeles area officials returned beachfront property to a Black couple a century after its unjust seizure.

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Democratic Sen. Steven Bradford, the bill’s author, viewed the proposal as a crucial step toward reparations and correcting historical wrongs.

The veto dealt a significant blow to a key part of the California Legislative Black Caucus’s reparations package aimed at addressing decades of racial disparities.

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The Department of Finance opposed the bill, citing potential annual costs ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.

The Newsom administration proposed allocating $6 million to California State University to fund a study on a reparations task force, signaling a potential shift from direct action to further research.

Tags: California, Gavin Newsom

Lauren Taylor

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM — VETOED A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE CREATED A PROCESS FOR BLACK FAMILIES TO FILE CLAIMS FOR LAND TAKEN THROUGH DISCRIMINATORY USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN.

THE EMINENT DOMAIN BILL WAS INSPIRED BY A 2022 CASE WHERE LOS ANGELES-AREA OFFICIALS RETURNED BEACHFRONT PROPERTY TO A BLACK COUPLE A CENTURY AFTER ITS UNJUST SEIZURE.

SENATOR STEVEN BRADFORD, THE BILL’S AUTHOR, VIEWED THE PROPOSAL AS A CRUCIAL STEP TOWARD REPARATIONS AND CORRECTING HISTORICAL WRONGS.

THE VETO DEALT A SIGNIFICANT BLOW TO A KEY PART OF THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS’S REPARATIONS PACKAGE AIMED AT ADDRESSING DECADES OF RACIAL DISPARITIES.

THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE OPPOSED THE BILL, CITING POTENTIAL ANNUAL COSTS RANGING FROM HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

THE NEWSOM ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED ALLOCATING $6 MILLION DOLLARS TO CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY – TO FUND A STUDY ON A REPARATIONS TASK FORCE — SIGNALING A POTENTIAL SHIFT FROM DIRECT ACTION TO FURTHER RESEARCH.