New Reparations for Slavery Bill Passes California Assembly by 56-5 Vote

The vote comes after weeks of civil unrest have gripped the nation in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.

Critics, however, note that providing reparations will be a difficult, if not impossible task.

For example, does every black citizen receive reparations? Or will lineages be traced down to determine descendants of slaves?

Furthermore, who will pay the reparations? Will it be all taxpayers, including those who have legally immigrated to the United States? Will it include white people whose ancestors never owned slaves or even fought for freedom?

These are legitimate questions that people are asking!

Despite widespread concern over reparations, California has decided to move forward with exploring this option.

It's important to note that the California state deficit is already at $1.15 trillion.

It is estimated that the debt per capita is over $3,500 per person.

Sacramento CBS confirms that this is the top priority for California's Legislative Black Caucus:

A proposal to establish a task force to study and prepare recommendations for how to give reparations to African Americans passed the California Assembly on Thursday.

The bill advanced with a 56-5 vote as protests nationwide over police brutality re-energized the movement for racial justice and activists pressed for sweeping reforms. It is a top priority for California’s Legislative Black Caucus.

If the bill passes the Senate and is signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, eight people with backgrounds in racial justice reforms would lead a study into who would be eligible for compensation and how it should be awarded.

Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, a Democrat from San Diego who wrote the bill, said the study would reiterate California’s history of abetting slavery, even as it joined the union as a “free state” in 1850.

“The discriminatory practices of the past echo into the everyday lives of today’s Californians,” said Weber, who leads the Legislative Black Caucus.

The panel would start meeting no later than June 2021.

That's right.

Their top priority is not COVID-19 or its impact on the economy, which has cost an estimated 40 million jobs.

Rather, it's reparations for slavery, for which no former slaves or slave owners are alive today.

Reparations has become a popular talking point for the left, though the concept is unpopular with the majority of Americans.

The Hill has more details on how the "task force" would function and what their duties would entail:

The bill calls for the Regents of the University of California “to assemble a colloquium of scholars to draft a research proposal to analyze the economic benefits of slavery that accrued to owners and the businesses, including insurance companies and their subsidiaries, that received those benefits, and to make recommendations to the Legislature regarding those findings.”

The legislation would also require California’s Insurance Commissioner to obtain information from licensed insurers “regarding any records of slaveholder insurance policies issued by any predecessor corporation during the slavery era.”

The Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans would consist of eight members, at least four of which would “represent major civil society and reparations organizations.” The governor would be required to convene the group for its first meeting no later than June 1, 2021.

Congress held its first hearing in over a decade on a federal bill to study reparations, but the legislation never made it to a vote.

The federal government has in the past given reparations, awarding $20,000 to each surviving victim of Japanese internment camps during World War II in 1988.

“We seem to recognize that justice requires that those who have been treated unjustly need the means to make themselves whole again,” Democratic Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, who wrote the bill, told CBS13.

While Democrats want to provide handouts for certain voter blocs, President Trump wants to focus on creating an economy that is beneficial for EVERY American.

Prior to COVID-19, the unemployment rate for all minorities was the lowest in recorded history.

Trump made our economy great once.

He can do it again!