Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Senate Bill (SB) 1050 has moved to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk after it passed the State Legislature, as part of a 14-bill reparations package introduced by the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC).

The bill authored by Sen. Steven Bradford requires the state to create a process that will review claims from people who lost property through racially motivated eminent domain.

The language in the legislation requires the state to review valid claims and compensate eligible Black residents. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers passed the final version of SB 1050 without opposition.

Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) acknowledged that forcefully taking private property under eminent domain caused harm to families across California.

“The only time that property should be taken is through eminent domain, and it should only be used for a public good — for schools, roads and those types of situations,” said Dahle.

“If it’s been taken in any other way, that’s unjust, and it should be rectified,” he said.

The CLBC partnered with the California Reparations Task Force in efforts to reclaim land taken from Black residents under racist laws in the past. Community leaders and Black residents launched campaigns for the return of land or equitable compensation for properties seized by the government such as Bruces’s Beach in Southern California.

However, Sen. Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks) opposed the bill arguing that local jurisdictions that used eminent domain in racist ways are responsible for providing compensation, not state taxpayers.

Sen. Bradford responded that the state review process will also require local jurisdictions to compensate Black residents in addition to the state.

“Local jurisdictions will be responsible if they played a direct role,” said Bradford.

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