Happily Divorced And After

By Bo Tefu, Joe W. Bowers Jr., and Lila Brown | California Black Media  

A recent survey by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS), commissioned by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, indicates that over three-quarters (78%) of California’s registered voters are highly likely to participate in the upcoming general election on November 5. However, the survey of 5,095 voters highlights significant disparities among different voter demographics.

White voters show the highest likelihood of voting at 89%, compared to 66% for Black voters, 70% for Latino voters, and 62% for Asian American voters. Age differences are also notable, with 89% of voters aged 65 or older likely to vote, compared to just 60% of those aged 18-29.

The primary motivation for voters is the Presidential election, with 70% citing it as their reason for voting. Other significant factors include supporting specific issues (66%), fulfilling civic duty (63%), and protecting democracy (60%).

For those less likely to vote, dissatisfaction with Presidential candidates is a major deterrent, cited by 40%. Additionally, 36% are discouraged by the influence of special interests and big money.

John Kim, President and CEO of Catalyst California, emphasizes the importance of understanding voter motivations to address these disparities. “Knowing what is motivating California voters to participate in elections, and to what degree, is key to understanding our democratic systems,” he said. “This state has made strides in recent years to make voting more accessible. Yet the racial disparities that persist are a call to action for advocates and state officials to work together to address continuing structural impediments.”

Christian Arana of the Latino Community Foundation points out that investments in voter education are essential for a well-informed electorate capable of influencing state policies.

Eric Schickler, IGS co-director, notes that while overall engagement is high, the significant gaps in voter interest across different demographics highlight the need for continued efforts to mobilize underrepresented groups. “The big gaps across racial and ethnic subgroups and age cohorts underscore that interest in this election is far from universal, and that dissatisfaction with the two major party candidates may be a substantial obstacle in mobilizing turnout to the level seen in 2020.”

By Bo Tefu, Joe W. Bowers Jr., and Lila Brown | California Black Media  

Last week, lawmakers in both houses of the legislature honored San Francisco Giants public address announcer Renel Brooks-Moon for her trailblazing media career and advocacy work statewide.

By all accounts a Bay Area legend, the multi-award-winning radio personality served as the Giants public address announcer for 24 seasons. The Baseball Hall of Fame acknowledged Brooks-Moon as the first woman to serve as a Public Address Announcer for a world championship game in any professional sport.

On June 11, Oakland-born Brooks-Moon was recognized on the California Assembly Floor as “Woman of the Year” by State Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco).

The same day, Brooks-Moon was also presented with a resolution on the Senate Floor by Senate President pro-Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast), Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and other Bay Area lawmakers.

“On the Assembly Floor, we honored Renel Brooks-Moon. Her career started in radio, but she is best known for her role as San Francisco Giants announcer,” Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) wrote on Facebook. “She is the first Black Californian to have that position and she did it with gusto!”

Brooks-Moon dedicated her awards to her late parents, whom she acknowledged as her role models and inspiration.

“I am profoundly honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” she said. “My heart is filled with gratitude and appreciation.”

McGuire said Brooks-Moon had been a fixture at Oracle Park and announced over 2,000 games including three World Series Championships.

“She brought incredible excitement and emotion to the game of baseball,” McGuire stated. “For those of us listening, she brought the game to life. But her storied career and community impact extend beyond the ballpark.”

Brooks-Moon spent 34 years as a radio and television broadcaster, including lead roles at 106 KMEL, 98.1 KISS-FM and CBS-5.

On air, Brooks-Moon led a number of efforts that empowered and uplifted the community. During that time, she received various awards for her advocacy and media work, including honors from the Bay Area Black Journalists Association, American Women in Radio and Television, Girl Scouts of NorCal, and Girls, Inc.

 

By Bo Tefu, Joe W. Bowers Jr., and Lila Brown | California Black Media  

The California Legislative Black Caucus CLBC) has partnered with the California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF)  for a tour that raises awareness about the fight for reparations in California.

The CBFF is a community-based organization and non-profit leading a five-year initiative that aims to invest $100 million towards Black power-building and movement-based organizations statewide.

The organization announced the “State of Black California Tour,” a series of six community events that bring together lawmakers, local leaders, and community members.

During the events, attendees raise questions and concerns that address historical, current and emerging challenges in various Black communities across California. Those discussions will focus on educating and motivating the public about the work the California Reparations task force has completed and why it is critical to compensate Black Californians for historical wrongs they have endured.

The first event in the series was held in San Diego on June 15.

Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) was the host of the San Diego event and moderated the discussion, “on the state of the Black community and how we work to secure the future all Black Californians deserve,” the organization stated.

“I am deeply honored to stand before you as we gather to discuss a matter of profound importance: The State of Black California,” said Weber, Secretary of the CLBC. She was speaking on June 15, making the opening statement during the San Diego stop of the tour.

“Today, we come together not only to acknowledge these injustices but to reaffirm the California Legislative Black Caucus’ commitment to rectifying many of the harms outlined in the California Reparations Task Force report.”

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber also spoke at the San Diego event.

The elder Weber said when she was a lawmaker many of her colleagues in the Legislature were reluctant to support AB 3121, the reparations bill she introduced that garnered bi-partisan support and made the task force possible. They were hesitant because they thought a bill that provided monetary compensation to Black Californians “would divide California.”

“We used the United Nations model in terms of what you’re supposed to do for reparations across the world. So, we had the backing of the international community,” said Weber. This is the standard across the world: to do reparations.”

“The fact that we have not given African Americans reparations is a blemish on this country,” said Weber. “The nation and the world have standards of justice, and this nation has never met those standards. Reparations is one of those standards that needs to be met for African Americans for the 400 years of injustices we have suffered.”

Leaders of local organizations, grassroots advocates, and community members are encouraged to attend an event in their respective communities.

The tour will continue to various cities across the state, including Santa Barbara, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, and Moreno Valley. The events will be held once a month starting in June up until October 2024.

Californians interested in attending an event in their area can find additional information on State of Black California website. Details for events held in each city are available online including registration, speakers, and necessary updates.

By Bo Tefu, Joe W. Bowers Jr., and Lila Brown | California Black Media  

Los Angeles County introduced the first-ever Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Commission in a ceremony hosted by Supervisor Hilda Solis.

The commission was created to recommend policies and address current and emerging issues that impact LGBTQ communities. This initiative was proposed and co-authored by Solis and Supervisor Janice Hahn, aiming to be more inclusive of LGBTQ individuals in California’s most populous county.

The commission’s executive director Sunitha Menon will work alongside 15 LGBTQ commission members including community leaders, local government officials, lawyers, and health professionals.

Solis said that the board of supervisors stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

“Today, Los Angeles County is making history – again – and hopefully setting an example for the rest of the nation to follow,” said Solis.

The board of supervisors completed a year-long selection process when it appointed Menon as the commission’s executive director. The board also compiled a resolution to fly the Progress Pride Flag at all County facilities in honor of Pride Month.

Menon said that the commission will remain dedicated to ensuring the safety and survival of LGBTQ individuals in their respective communities.

“I look forward to working alongside the Commissioners to ensure we are uplifting the needs of the over 500,000 members of our community, particularly for our Black and Brown trans community members, and those who live in areas with less access to life-saving resources and support,” said Menon.

Supervisor Hahn said that LA County is on the right side of history by uplifting LGBTQ voices.

“There are too many states and local governments across the country who are moving backwards when it comes to LGBTQ rights,” said Hahn.

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference (Cal-Hi NAACP) honored actor and political activist Danny Glover and social justice leader Rev. Amos C. Brown at its 12th annual Legacy Hall of Fame Ceremony held at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Sacramento on June 10.

With that honor, Glover and Brown join a long list of activists, leaders and changemakers who have fought tirelessly for equal rights for African Americans, changes in law, and to advance the civil rights movement.

“These are nationally, known heavyweights,” said Cal-Hi NAACP President Rick Callender.

“They are both humble and national leaders. (The Hall of Fame) shows that they are here in attendance, reaching back into the community, and letting Mr. Glover and Rev. Brown know that they deserve this prestigious honor,” Callender continued.

The ceremony brought together a diverse group of guests, including NAACP members from across the state, corporate partners, supporters, and future leaders and delegates of the Youth and College Division.

State lawmakers in attendance were Sen. Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento) and Sen. Susan Rubio (D-West Covina).

Rubio presented Glover and Brown with Senate resolutions outlining their civil rights accomplishments.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber gave remarks focused on the character and achievements of the honorees.  When she was the president of the National Council for Black Studies, Weber remembers Glover advocated for the academic discipline at San Francisco State University before he rose to fame in the film industry.

Weber also thanked Brown for his leadership as a member of the California Reparations Task Force, a nine-person panel created based on Assembly Bill (AB) 1321, legislation she authored when she served in the Assembly representing the 79^th District in San Diego. After a two-year investigation and study, the task force delivered a 1,100-page report with 115 reparations recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.

“Despite all the things they have done they’ve never forgotten where they once came from,” Weber said of the Hall of Fame inductees. “They continue to hold up the banner for us and to fight for us every day. Their task now is to make sure that you pick up the banner and move forward.”

Glover was born July 22, 1947, in San Francisco. His parents, Carrie and James Glover were both United States postal workers and active members of the NAACP. While at San Francisco State College, the young Glover led a student strike. The demonstration led to the first ethnic studies department in the country.

Glover studied the art of acting at San Francisco State College and trained at the Black Actors Workshop of the American Conservatory Theater.  Glover has and continues to nurture a long career in stage plays, television, and films.

Glover has produced social justice documentaries that align with his advocacy work. He has received numerous awards for his humanitarian efforts and once served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

“I certainly have so much respect for this particular moment,” Glover said of receiving NAACP honors. “But just to be around men and women of all ages, all ethnicities who work for a better community. That’s what it is all about — what it means to be a human being working on the half of humanity. Thank you for this honor.”

Rev. Amos Cleophus Brown was born Feb 20, 1941, in Jackson, Mississippi. He is one of only eight students who had the pleasure to take a college class taught by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

In 1961, Brown and King were arrested at a civil rights lunch counter sit-in. As a youth, Brown’s mentor was Mississippi NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers.

Brown has been the pastor of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church in the Fillmore District since 1976. He served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1996 to 2000. Brown was first appointed to the position by former San Francisco Mayor and California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown before being elected to a two-year term.

Brown has served as national chairman for the NAACP Youth and College Division and the National Baptist Commission on Civil Rights. He is currently the president of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP.

“I want you to know that I am 83 going on 84 but I am going to stay in the struggle (for equality),” Brown said. “I am going to stay in the struggle because God has given me strength and God has been my light. I am going to stay in the fight until Black folks receive equality and opportunities in the United States of America.”

Every year, the NAACP CA/HI State Conference inducts individuals into the Hall of Fame who exemplify the commitment and courage to advocate for the betterment of Black people in California. The event also creates funding for youth leadership programs and initiatives.

“The one thing that I really like about this event is that we really are honoring folks that have been doing the business of civil rights for their entire life,” Callender said. “We’re just saying, ‘We’ve seen what you’ve been doing, we’re watching you, and yes, you deserve to be in our Hall of Fame.’”

By Lou K. Coleman | WSS News Contributor

Wake Up!  Wake Up!  Wake Up!

When you see a man rise among a ten-nation union subduing three kings, watch closely and know that the time is near! [Revelation Chapter 13].

Prophecies Concerning the End Time – Coming to Pass Now –

One World System where Satan will have absolute dominion over all the earth and people.

[Revelation 17-18] shows there are three components to the One World System of the Last Days. There’s a One World Religion, a One World Government, and a One World Commercial System. All which have been developing for longer than most people suspect and are rapidly coming to fulfillment. No longer just the realm of fanatical conspiracy theorists but coming to pass now. Wake Up!

The One World System will come to power by promising peace and safety in a time of chaos [Daniel 8:25]. Prophecies Concerning the End Time – Coming to Pass Now –

In [2023] Cinema Modeoff Sudan and Israel set signed peace agreement. Condition effective upon ratification by both parties Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel.

Prophecies Concerning the End Time – Coming to Pass. Pay Attention. The signs are clear, and they serve as a warning from God. He is calling us to repentance and preparation. Time calls for immediate action. “Now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation.” Every time your clock ticks, it’s saying, “Now, now, now, now, now, now, now.”

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, do it now, for He is your only escape from what is about to take place. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. [2 Corinthians 6:2].

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cop of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; And the smoke of their torment ascendants up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name. [Revelation 14: 9-12].

Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!

By Darryl White | Special to California Black Media Partners

As we celebrate the 159th anniversary of Juneteenth, I cannot help but think of how far we still have to go to reach a level of equity in America. The cornerstone of slavery was illiteracy among enslaved populations. Slave owners did everything they could to keep slaves ignorant and illiterate, often imposing severe penalties for literacy among slaves and those who taught them. They realized early that knowledge meant power, and maintaining slavery required policies and laws that promoted high rates of illiteracy among enslaved populations throughout America.

Current statistics continue to paint a stark picture of literacy proficiency among California’s Black third-grade students. Today, only 27% are meeting or exceeding the English language arts state standards. Even more disturbingly, since 2018, scores have plummeted by four percentage points. Clearly, the post-COVID era has exacerbated an already dire situation.

Reading develops essential skills necessary for participating in American society, democracy, and the capitalist system. It enhances concentration, intellectual development, higher-order thinking, imagination, and creativity. Moreover, it helps individuals understand the world around them, allowing them to take advantage of available knowledge and opportunities. Those who read well tend to function more effectively in American society and advance more quickly. Systems of advancement are often centered around testing. For instance, students must take the SAT and compete with others to enter higher education. Those who cannot not read well, regardless of their true aptitude, perform poorly on the SAT. Their scores reinforce the false belief that the SAT determines inherent intelligence.

Today, if high schools graduated highly literate Black students, graduation day would be a jubilant celebration akin to Juneteenth. Just as the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment provided access to civil rights, high literacy rates empower individuals to fully exercise these rights. Literacy opens doors to voting, fair trials, government employment, public facility access, housing, freedom of religion, and public education–transforming these rights from mere words into tangible opportunities. In this way, achieving high literacy rates is a modern emancipation, granting students the tools to realize the full promise of their civil rights.

In 2000, the National Reading Panel, a government-formed entity, conducted analysis to determine the most effective approach to teaching children how to read. Their findings–informed by rigorous, interdisciplinary scientific research from educators, psychologists, linguists, neuroscientists, and cognitive scientists–outlined five critical areas of reading instruction based on how a child best learns to read: (1) phonemic awareness, (2) phonics, (3) vocabulary, (4) fluency, and (5) comprehension. Moreover, the analysis advocates for the inclusion of evidence-based literacy instruction principles in teacher training programs to ensure educators are equipped to teach our children effectively.

Across seventeen states (and counting), legislation has been introduced to embrace the principles supported by the National Reading Panel and other literacy experts. Now, California stands poised to follow suit. The Black Parallel School Board fully supported Assembly Bill 2222 (Rubio), which introduced legislation in February 2024 requiring all California public elementary schools use evidence-based reading instructional materials and train educators on providing evidence-based early literacy instruction. Unfortunately, the 2024 version of the bill died in the Assembly without a hearing. We will again support the 2025 version of the bill because the cause is too important. Our children deserve nothing less.

Learning to read is a civil right. Therefore, the movement to ensure that all students learn to read well can be seen as the catalyst to emancipate BIPOC people trapped at the lower rungs of the education ladder. Until we assure every parent/caregiver in California that their public education system can and will prioritize teaching their children to read, Black children will continue to experience high rates of illiteracy and inequity.

Just as the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved individuals, evidence-based early literacy instruction will free BIPOC people from the historical and cultural enslavement of lower-class citizenship and liberate students from educational inequity, empowering them to fully participate in society and achieve their potential. The right to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is meaningless if an educational system created through civil rights fails to promote literacy, as it has then certainly failed to educate.

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About the Author

Darryl White Sr. has been a teacher, curriculum specialist, race/human relations/equity trainer, and inner-city elementary, middle, and high school administrator.  As a middle school principal, he provided the leadership to move Vallejo’s lowest achieving middle school to the city’s best (includes charter schools) in only three years while improving the school’s Academic Performance Index (API) over 100 points.

 

EDD customers can choose the most convenient payment option for their needs

SACRAMENTO, CA—– The Employment Development Department (EDD) is now offering its unemployment, disability, and Paid Family Leave benefit customers a direct deposit option to receive their payments. Direct deposit is a safe, fast, and convenient way for individuals to have their benefits automatically deposited into their personal checking or savings account. This enhancement follows the Department’s transition to Money Network for benefit payment services earlier this year which included issuing new prepaid debit cards.

“We have been focused on improving our benefit systems as part of our ongoing effort to modernize and improve the customer experience for all Californians,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias. “Direct deposit offers our customers the safest and most convenient means of receiving the benefit payments that they need.”

EDD customers will need a myEDD account to select the best payment option to meet their needs. For help setting up a myEDD account, customers can view myEDD Registration and Overview (YouTube). Once logged in, customers can update their preferred payment option within UI Online for unemployment benefits or SDI Online for disability or Paid Family Leave benefits, after selecting Profile on the main menu.

EDD encourages customers to learn more about direct deposit and other payment options by visiting the Department’s Benefit Payment Options webpage. There are also videos available to assist existing customers with how to set up direct deposit if they so choose. New customers will make their selection when applying for benefits online.

The new direct deposit option is considered a secure, fast, and convenient way to receive payments for customers who have a bank account. Other options include a prepaid debit card as well as mailed checks for receiving benefit payments.

The new direct deposit option is available for workers who are accessing EDD’s services online starting June 17. In early July and again in August, EDD will be alerting these customers to the expanded benefit payment options through direct emails and text messages. Customers will also see online notifications when logging in to apply for benefits or manage their benefit claim.

For unemployment customers, notifications will be made available in the top eight languages, including English for those who have indicated a preference to receive translated communications.

Beware of Scammers

EDD will never email, text, or call to ask for login information or bank account details to enroll in direct deposit. Be cautious of unsolicited emails or text messages that request personal or financial information with a sense of urgency. EDD emails only contain links to websites that include “edd.ca.gov.” Visit the Fight Fraud webpage for tips on how to avoid scams.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Rep. Pete Aguilar recently announced that Neighborhood Partnership Housing Service, Inc. (NPHS) will receive $1,666,279 in federal funding to make critical infrastructure upgrades for affordable housing units.

The funding will be used to make improvements such as plumbing, roofing, weatherization and other energy conservation upgrades to affordable housing units. This will make the units safer and more resilient to extreme weather events, and significantly lower energy costs for residents.

“It is my top priority to lower the cost of housing so that folks who want to live here and be a part of our community are able to do so,” Rep. Pete Aguilar said. “I’m proud to have fought for this funding to lower energy costs in affordable housing units while improving resident safety.”

“On behalf of the communities that will benefit from this investment, I extend my deepest gratitude to Congressman Aguilar for his unwavering support. The Community Project Funding award will play a crucial role in our mission to preserve affordable housing units in the City of San Bernardino,” stated Clemente Mojica, CEO of Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc. “This support not only strengthens our community but also ensures that more families have access to safe and affordable housing. Thank you, Congressman Aguilar, for championing housing affordability.”

Since 2023, Rep. Aguilar has announced over $72 million for affordable housing developments in the Inland Empire. These investments range from increasing the supply of affordable housing to renovating affordable housing units.

Rep. Aguilar also helped pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 into law, which included over $17 million in federal investments for 15 local projects across the region Rep. Aguilar represents in Congress.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

On June 11, a heated debate ensued among lawmakers over reparations for Black Californians during an Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 1331, also known as The Fund for Reparations and Restorative Justice.

Assemblymember Kate Sanchez (R-Rancho Santa Margarita), a member of the Judiciary Committee, voted against SB 1331, commenting that the legislation is “fundamentally unfair” and “the pain of our past should not be paid by people of today.” She stated that California’s Asians and Latinos make up 55% of the state population and are not responsible for slavery, discrimination, or Jim Crow laws.

Senate Judiciary Committee chair Ash Kalra (D-San José) disagreed with Sanchez’s perspective and pushed back with a persuasive counterargument explaining why America owes Black Americans.

The Indian American lawmaker reminded Sanchez and other members of the committee that “the country became a superpower based on free labor” and “Black families over a generation “did not ask if it was okay to take their wealth, enslave them, or put their children in poverty,” Kalra said.

“We recognize it,” Kalra said, nearly breaking into tears. “I know it’s not going to be easy. It’s not supposed to be easy to actually admit what you’ve caused pain when you try to repair and heal that pain. And yes, we still benefit to this day from what happened to our brothers and sisters in the Black community so many generations ago.”

During a panel discussion held on June 15 in San Diego, organized by the Black Freedom Fund in partnership with the CLBC, Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) criticized some Republican colleagues in the Legislature who uniformly and consistently vote no on reparations-focused legislation.

“Some of our Republican colleagues have taken it upon themselves to make this a very political issue, voting no on all our bills,” said Gipson. Any bills that deal with reparations, they are voting no. “They are also casting lies on how much these bills are going to cost and talking about the immigrant status and how they are not a part of what happened in California. So, it’s our responsibility to educate our colleagues on what’s going on.

SB 1331 was one of four reparations bills that the Senate and Assembly reviewed in various committees and voted to advance.

Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 8 made it out of the Senate Public Safety Committee on June 11 with a 4-1 vote. The legislation is on its way to the Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments.

Authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), ACA 8 seeks to abolish the language “involuntary servitude” from the state’s constitution, effectively prohibiting slavery of any form in the prison system.

“We have an opportunity to step in the direction that ends that legacy (of slavery in California),” said Wilson, the chairperson of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC).

“This bill throughout its history has enjoyed no opposition on record or testifying against it,” said Wilson. “I believe it is really consistent with California’s value and it’s time we showed it in writing and not just within talks.”

The public safety community members who voted in favor of ACA 8 were Sens. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco), Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward), and CLBC member Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood). Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) voted no. If the bill passes out of the Senate, it will be sent to Gov. Newsom for his signature and placed on the general election ballot in November.

Wilson’s legislation is one of 14 reparations bills introduced by the CLBC earlier this year. The package addresses the recommendations the California Reparations Task Force made last year in its 1,100-page final report.

ACA 8 is the legislative successor of ACA 3 – ??the California Abolition Act – aimed at removing slavery from California law.

It was first authored by then-Sen. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) but the bill failed in 21-6 vote on the Senate floor in June 2023.

Kamlager-Dove was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives after Karen Bass vacated the seat to run for mayor of Los Angeles. She still monitors the bill that Wilson picked up when she left the State Senate.

Kamlager-Dove is currently working to remove similar language regarding voluntary servitude from the U.S. Constitution.

“The exceptions for slavery and involuntary servitude in both the California Constitution and the 13th Amendment are moral disgraces that need to be addressed at both federal and state levels,” Kamlager-Dove said in a written statement to California Black Media. “In Congress, I proudly reintroduced the Abolition Amendment to amend the U.S. Constitution and abolish slavery once and for all. We must sustain this momentum at the state level. I urge swift passage of ACA 8 to end prison labor in California.”

In addition to Wilson’s ACA 8 bill, a number of reparations bills authored by members of the CLBC are advancing in the Legislature.

In addition to SB 1331, the Assembly Judiciary Committee voted to pass three of Bradford’s reparations bills, as of June 12.  The bills are Senate Bill (SB) 1403, that would establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency (CAFAA) and SB 1050, CAFAA’s required action to compensate families that lost property to eminent domain.

SB 1403 and SB 1331 are not part of the CLBC reparations package.

Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin) voted no on SB 1403 and SB 1331, but voted yes gave SB 1050 his full based on his knowledge of property rights and the historical unfair use of eminent domain.

“I think eminent domain should be extremely limited,” said Patterson, the vice chair of the Assembly Housing Committee. “I am 100% for something where you say you have to be compensated for fair-market value if the government is going to take your property. Because of that, I am going to support this measure.”