POLITICO California Playbook PM: Reparations movement meets reality

Jun 06, 2023

COOL RECEPTION: We’re still a few weeks away from seeing finalized policy recommendations from California’s reparations task force, but the chances of state lawmakers taking a big swing at the issue this year are slim.

The first sign that the task force’s years of work would be met with a chilly response came last month, when Gov. Gavin Newsom dampened hopes for a proposal to send cash payments to the descendants of slaves. Since then, Newsom and state leaders have avoided talking about the issue, citing the need to first read through the final report, which they will be handed by July 1.

State Sen. Steven Bradford, who serves on the task force, suggested after Newsom’s statement that lawmakers could still try to tackle more widely palatable ideas this year, like bolstering public university scholarships and housing affordability programs. Now, he said he believes the window to get something done in the coming months is likely closed.

“I think, realistically, January,” Bradford said in an interview when asked when to expect the introduction of bills tied to the report. “I think it's too late to have a real impact before the end of this legislative cycle.”

FILE - Task Force members Steven Bradford, right, speaks next to Reginald Jones-Sawyer during a meeting by the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, in Oakland, Calif. As California lawmakers hail the work of a historic panel that has for nearly two years delved into reparations proposals for African Americans, a state senator on the task force signaled large payments could face a tough road ahead in the Legislature. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) | AP

The SoCal Democrat said he wanted some sort of reparations-tied funding included in the budget. At one point, he said, he suggested the 12-member California Legislative Black Caucus — of which he’s the vice chair — withhold votes if necessary. That didn’t fly.

Even if we do get a package of bills introduced in January, there’s no guarantee they’ll find a receptive audience.

Progressive lawmakers have fumed over the past decade as they watched lofty policy proposals fail — not at the hands of Republicans, but moderate Democrats whose voter base often looks significantly different. Police-reform advocates got a reminder of this dynamic last week when bills that would have required police officers to obtain a warrant before searching a vehicle and banned officers from using canines to apprehend suspects failed to get off the Assembly floor.

Those bills may not have been explicitly tied to the task force, but they are closely linked to the broader reparations movement, as the disproportionately high number of Black residents who are incarcerated has long been linked to a prevalent wealth gap. Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Perris), who authored the police canines legislation, pulled research directly from the task force linking the use of dogs — dating back to slavery — to intergenerational trauma.

Those arguments failed to sway dozens of Democrats, many of whom represent districts where crime and public safety have polled among top voter concerns over the last few years.

A new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found that just 39 percent of likely voters support the idea of a reparations task force. Numbers like that don’t bode well for the major racial justice overhauls that activists hoped the state’s reparations push would bring.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

FLORIDA, MAN: Florida confirmed today that the DeSantis administration sent two planes full of migrants to Sacramento as a protest to federal immigration policies. Its explanation followed days of radio silence about the unexpected arrival in California of 36 migrants from Central and South America. Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta had said the men and women may have been misled, falsely imprisoned and even kidnapped after seeking asylum in the U.S. The Florida Division of Emergency Management says that’s not the case. The agency said in a statement that the migrants volunteered to be part of a “relocation effort” to California. “Through verbal and written consent, these volunteers indicated they wanted to go to California,” Communications Director Alecia Collins said in an email to reporters.

To back up its case, Florida released a video showing migrants signing documents and boarding buses and a charter plane — while in seemingly high spirits. One unidentified man says he was thankful for assistance he had received since coming to the U.S. Asked whether they were ever treated poorly, one man replied, "No, they treated us super well."

Newsom spokesman Anthony York offered a response to the video: “This is exploitative propaganda being peddled by a politician who has shown there are no depths he won’t sink to in his desperate effort to score a political point. Governor Newsom said it best. The Florida governor is small and pathetic, and this video is just another reminder of that.” — Lara Korte

On The Beats

NEW PAGES: Anti-book-ban legislation is getting a rewrite. A pending bill from Assemblymember Corey Jackson will soon require that a supermajority vote of a local school board is needed to pull a book, rather than a simple majority. Amendments expected to go live next week would also allow county boards of education to override book ban decisions if they’re petitioned by parents. Those edits would return strength to the bill after its most sweeping provisions — including that schools would have to get approval from the state to restrict curriculum — were taken out. It’s the latest in a slew of attempts from California Democrats to block conservative-led challenges to race and gender-related content, which have gained increased prominence in Republican politics. — Blake Jones

HOORAY FOR DOLLYWOOD: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library reading program is expanding in California. Five-year-olds across the state will be able to receive a free book in the mail each month, and California will be the first state to offer bilingual book options. State officials announced the expansion and showcased it by having first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom read to kids in English and Spanish at a library in West Sacramento, across the river from the Capitol. Alas, Parton herself wasn’t there, just a cardboard cutout. — Blake Jones

GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE.

AROUND CALIFORNIA

— “Cal State details potential tuition increases amid massive funding gap,” by Debbie Truong in the Los Angeles Times: California State University officials are projecting tuition increases of hundreds of dollars per student as the 23-campus system attempts to close a funding gap of almost $1.5 billion.

The tuition proposal, submitted to the California State Student Assn. last month, outlined three models, with the increase for each undergraduate ranging from $174 to $462 in the first year and each subsequent year bringing another increase.

— “A’s Las Vegas stadium bill stalls in Nevada legislative session,” by Matt Kawahara in the San Francisco Chronicle: The bill, which would direct up to $380 million in public funds to a new MLB ballpark, requires approval by Nevada lawmakers, who did not vote on it Monday. The Legislature could still take up the bill in a special session called by Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has previously expressed support for having an MLB team in Las Vegas, though it was unclear Monday night whether a special session for the ballpark bill is expected.

MIXTAPE

— “Here’s the truth of what happened inside S.F.’s controversial Tenderloin Center,” by Vitka Eisen in the San Francisco Chronicle.

— “The Democrats running for Feinstein’s seat vote the same. A closer look reveals differences,” by David Lightman in The Sacramento Bee.

— “The many ways the Legislature wants to change California’s constitution,” by Lynn La in CalMatters.

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