California Assemblyman Ash Kalra wiped away tears while arguing for a reparations bill that would grant financial compensation to African Americans in the state. The bill has faced opposition from Republican lawmakers, who say it is unfair to ask Asians and Latinos to pay.
San Jose Democratic Assemblyman Ash Kalra became visibly emotional in defense of a bill to grant slavery reparations to African Americans in California. The exchange occurred during a June 11th meeting of the California Assembly Committee on Judiciary, where lawmakers debated SB 1331, a bill that would establish a "Fund for Reparations and Reparative Justice" in the state treasury.
Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, a Republican from Santa Margarita, raised concerns about the bill's potential financial burden, citing economists who estimated it could cost $800 billion. "That's two and a half times the size of our entire state budget," Sanchez argued. "To pay for that, you'd need a major tax hike unlike anything this state has ever seen before."
California Lawmaker Defends Reparations Bill, Holding Back Tears
Sanchez also pointed out that the majority of California's population, 55%, is Latino or Asian, including many first- or second-generation immigrants. She argued that it would be unfair to expect these individuals to pay for reparations when they had no connection to slavery. "It is fundamentally unfair to force these people to pay for this," she said.
Kalra responded by emphasizing the need for reparations and the historical responsibility of the United States. "The reality is that actions are necessary, and that includes reparations. It includes, in some cases, monetary reparations," he said.
California Lawmaker Defends Reparations Bill, Holding Back Tears
Kalra's voice cracked with emotion as he recounted the horrors of slavery and its lasting impact on African American communities. "I understand that it’s hard to ask those of us currently sitting in the legislature to make those commitments, but no one asked Black families over generations if it was okay to take their wealth, if it was okay to enslave them, if it was okay to..." he paused, unable to continue speaking.
After a lengthy debate, the Judiciary Committee voted 9-3 to advance SB 1331 along party lines. The proposal is one of four reparations bills under consideration by the California legislature.
California Lawmaker Defends Reparations Bill, Holding Back Tears
In May, the state Senate passed three bills that apologize for the state's role in instituting slave laws and discriminatory practices. These bills will now head to the California State Assembly for votes.
In January, California introduced a package of reparations bills that would provide property compensation and cash payouts to the descendants of slaves and other Black Californians. Previous reparations bills have faced opposition, including one that would have provided homeownership aid and another that would have offered property tax relief for descendants of slaves.
California Lawmaker Defends Reparations Bill, Holding Back Tears
SB 1331 allocates funds for reparations policies signed into law by the governor. The bill is currently under consideration by the California Assembly.
The debate over slavery reparations in California continues, with supporters arguing for the need for financial compensation and opponents expressing concerns about the potential financial burden and fairness to non-African American communities.
