A California Democrat wants to tax sales of gold, cotton, tobacco and other goods linked to slavery — and to divert the money to black residents, in the latest bid to turn reparations into reality.
The bill by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer is one of more than a dozen bills backed by the California Legislative Black Caucus seeking reparations for black Californians, especially the descendants of slaves.
They stem from a July 2023 report from the state Reparations Task Force, where Jones-Sawyer served as a member, and underscores efforts to turn controversial policies into a legally-binding compensation scheme.
