Newsom Vetoes Undercut Reparations Gains for Black Descendants in California

In a series of veto messages, the governor argued the bills were either unworkable, unnecessary or legally suspect.

The measures were among several reparations-related bills advanced this year by the California Legislative Black Caucus, following a shift in strategy to focus on descendants of enslaved people rather than race-based programs — an approach designed to withstand mounting legal challenges.

Proposition 209, passed by voters in 1996, banned affirmative action in public institutions. And in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions, a decision that reinforced the legal hurdles facing California’s reparations efforts.

Newsom said California universities did not need Bryan’s bill, Assembly Bill 7, to prioritize applicants who were descendants of slaves.

“I encourage the institutions referenced in this bill to review and determine how, when, and if this type of preference can be adopted,” Newsom wrote.

The governor was more skeptical of the idea behind Assembly Bill 57, which would have set aside 10% of funds in the California Dream for All Program for descendants of enslaved people. The program provides down-payment assistance for first-time home buyers. Newsom instead vowed to set aside money in the state’s home-buying program for residents in low-income census tracts.

“Creating an ancestry-based set-aside presents legal risks that could jeopardize [The California Housing Finance Agency’s] access to federal mortgage markets that are critical to providing housing assistance for thousands of Californians each year,” Newsom wrote.

Newsom vetoed two other reparations bills on Monday. Assembly Bill 62 would have allowed residents who lost property through racially motivated eminent domain to petition the state for compensation. And Assembly bill 742 would have expedited the applications for descendants seeking professional licenses needed for professions including architects, barbers and dental hygienists. Newsom said both bills would strain state resources — and added that prioritizing more residents for expedited licenses would diminish the benefit for populations that are already fast-tracked, including military spouses and refugees.

The vetoes come days after reparations advocates were encouraged by Newsom’s approval of Senate Bill 518, which created a new state agency to oversee restitution for descendants of enslaved people.

The law, authored by state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, D-San Diego, establishes a bureau within the Civil Rights Department that will verify eligibility, process claims and recommend how the state might deliver tangible repair.

The new bureau will formalize a process for verifying lineage and implementing future reparations programs. But the law’s immediate impact is limited; it will require the governor and Legislature to allocate funding before the bureau can begin operations.

Newsom highlighted the legislation during a recent appearance on the podcast Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay. “I signed a bill two days ago with the Black Caucus as it relates to creating a new office to address these systemic issues,” he said.

The Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth praised the governor’s action, calling SB 518 a crucial step toward the vision outlined by the state’s Reparations Task Force.

“Reparations are not just about addressing historical slavery; they also focus on the ongoing harms and unfair practices that Black people continue to experience today in education, healthcare, housing and employment,” said Dr. Cheryl Grills, an ARRT leader and former task force member. “Gov. Newsom is helping California right its wrongs and continue laying the groundwork for a fair and equitable future and healing for everyone.”

Lisa Holder, an ARRT leader, former task force member and president of the Equal Justice Society, said the bill reflects the power of broad coalitions.

“We’re proud to have played a critical role in the passage of this bill,” she said. “Amid deep divisions, our coalition is advancing a cross-racial alliance that places reparations at the heart of a shared vision for a resilient, multicultural democracy. Truth-telling and collective healing are essential steps toward reconciliation.”

California’s current reparations proposals stem from recommendations made by the state’s Reparations Task Force in a 2023 report. That 1,100-page document detailed how California lawmakers and institutions advanced the cause of slavery in the state’s early days and discriminated against Black residents in the decades that followed. The task force was created in 2020 when Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3121, following a wave of national activism after the murder of George Floyd.

Since then, Newsom’s enthusiasm for the task force’s full slate of recommendations has cooled. While he has supported symbolic measures, like a formal state apology for slavery and systemic racism, he has resisted the idea of providing cash payments to eligible descendants, arguing that reparations must involve more than direct checks.

Last year’s legislative session ended in frustration for many advocates after disagreements within the Black Caucus and late amendments requested by Newsom derailed a proposal to create a similar agency. The governor later vetoed a bill to compensate victims of racially motivated property seizures, saying there was no state entity to manage such a program.

Those setbacks galvanized activists. At the close of the 2024 session, more than 8,500 letters were delivered to Newsom urging him to support a slate of reparations bills. The caucus responded this year with its “Road to Repair” agenda — a rebranded package of measures that avoided the politically charged term “reparations.”

For now, advocates say California’s new agency represents a foundation — not a finish line. Its future depends on funding, legislation and political will. Still, for the first time, the state has a structure in place to make good on its promises. As Holder put it, “We cannot move forward as one human family until we confront the harm, acknowledge the debt and take tangible action to repair what has been done.”

KQED’s Otis R. Taylor Jr. contributed to this report.