The list of items subject to this proposed tax includes "cotton, gold, tobacco, wine, olives, rice, coffee beans, cane sugar, and any other products connected to the transatlantic slave trade," as outlined by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer.
This initiative is a direct outcome of a 2023 report released by California's reparations task force, the first of its kind in the nation, established by Governor Newsom in 2020. The bill is one of a dozen supported by the California Legislative Black Caucus, according to the Washington Examiner.
The primary recipients of the reparations funds generated by this tax would be California residents who are descendants of slaves. The proposed utilization of these funds would enable them to finance educational expenses or housing loans, as specified in the bill.
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Scheduled to take effect in July 2025, the tax rate remains unspecified in the current version of the bill.
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Despite enacting California Assembly Bill 3121 in 2020, which initiated the establishment of the reparations task force, Governor Newsom has not endorsed the recommendations put forth by the committee. This includes dismissing a suggested $1.2 million compensation for each Black Californian with slave ancestry and rejecting the task force's proposal for veto authority over the state's real estate decisions to prioritize Black individuals in the housing market.
According to the Washington Examiner, only 23 percent of Californians are in favor of reparations.