California voters oppose the idea of ​​the state offering cash payments to the descendants of enslaved African Americans through a

two-to-one margin 2-to-1 margin

according to the results of a new poll that foreshadows future political troubles

next year, when state legislatures begin

think of reparations for slavery.

The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll

,

co-sponsored by The Times

,

found that 59% of voters oppose cash payments

to alone

28% support the idea. The lack of support for cash reparations was resounding, with more than

four 4

of ten voters were strongly against it.

“It’s a steep uphill climb, at least from the public’s perspective,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of the IGS poll.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers created California’s Reparations Task Force in 2020 with the goal of charting a path to reparations that could serve as a model for the nation. After two years of deliberation, the task force sent a final report and recommendations

earlier

This summer to the Capitol, where Newsom and the Democratic-led Legislature will ultimately decide how the state should atone for slavery.

The group proposed providing cash payments to all descendants based on health disparities, mass incarceration, over-policing and housing discrimination that have negatively affected Black residents compared to

to with

white Californians.

The solutions recommended in the report also go far beyond cash payments and include policies to end the death penalty, pay fair market value for prison labor, restore voting rights to all formerly and currently incarcerated people and impose rent caps. fit historically redesigned postal codes. that disadvantaged black residents, among dozens of other suggestions.

The conclusion of the task forces’ work puts political pressure on Democrats to bring about a process

they have started, but the unpopularity of cash payments suggests they have a strong future

political headwinds.

State Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), who served on the task force, said he was not surprised by the poll results. “It speaks to the poor education of most Americans when it comes to slavery and the impact it had on this country and the impact it continues to have on African Americans today,” Bradford said.

The amount of cash reparations that could be paid to eligible descendants would vary widely, but has nevertheless been the main focus of critics.

For health disparities, the task force recommends $13,619 for each year of residence in California, a figure derived by comparing life expectancy between black non-Hispanic and white non-Hispanic Californians. To compensate for mass incarceration and excessive surveillance, the task force recommends that eligible descendants receive $2,352 for each year of residence in California during the war on drugs from 1971 to 2020. Compensation for housing discrimination totaled $3,378 for each year between 1933 and 1977 that a descendant lives in California.

When asked in the spring about his position on the proposal, Newsom said reparations are more than just cash payments. He reiterated that position in mid-June when interviewed by Fox News host Sean Hannity, noting that Fox News’ endorsement coverage seized cash payments and “continued to do so.”

“It doesn’t have to be in the context of writing a check; reparations come in many different forms. But you can’t deny these historical facts, and I really believe we need to get a handle on what happened ,” Newsom said. Hannity.

Newsom has enjoyed broad support among Black voters, and given the general opposition of most Californians to cash reparations, any action the governor takes on the issue could carry significant political risks.

In the Berkeley poll, when voters opposed to reparations were asked why, the top two reasons most often cited were that it is unfair to ask current taxpayers to pay for past wrongs,” chosen by 60 % of voters, and it’s not fair. to single out one group for reparations when other racial and religious groups have been wronged in the past,” chosen by 53%.

Only 19% said the reason was because the proposal would cost the state too much, indicating that money alone is not the main objection.

Among Democrats, 43% were in favor and 41% opposed to cash reparations. Republicans strongly opposed the proposal at 90%, while only 5% were in favor. Independents were 65% against and 22% in favor.

Black California voters were more likely to support cash payments than any other demographic group, with 76% in favor and 16% opposed, the survey found. Nearly two-thirds of white voters were opposed, as were six in 10 Latino and Asian voters.

The success or failure of reparations in California, where the state government is controlled by Democrats and voters are relatively liberal by comparison

of

other states, is seen as a potential bellwether for the movement across the country.

DiCamillo said the poll results showed a split that could indicate Californians are open to reparations in various forms.

Despite widespread opposition to cash payments, 60% of respondents said they thought the legacy of slavery was eroding the state’s position.

black black

residents today. Another 31% said there is no impact at all.

“The idea of ​​cash reparations is actually something that is strongly opposed,” DiCamillo said. “There may be other solutions that could be much more warmly received.”

Members of the reparations task force previously told persuasive non-black Californians that the harm from slavery continues.

the

biggest challenges for advocates.

Much of the task force’s work focused on hearing testimony from academics, economists, and other experts to gather evidence on the effects of slavery and to prove the ways in which the government

–

sanctioned policies discriminated against black people long after slavery was abolished.

Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) called the answer to the question about lasting damage “a positive sign.” He also reiterated the idea that the report offers many more recommendations than cash payments. “I encourage all Californians to read the online report and learn about the history and conclusions reached, and to review the historical and empirical data behind the final report,” he said in a statement. “I believe attitudes will change once the public is fully aware of what the report has to say.”

Voters shared mixed opinions about whether the state is doing enough to ensure its Black residents have a fair chance at success.

Statewide

,

29% of voters said

California

does too little, while 26% say they do about the right amount; 22% think the state is doing too much. Almost

1 in 4

or 23%, had no opinion.

The Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey surveyed 6,030 registered voters in California online in English and Spanish

by

August 24-29.

Because survey results are weighted to match census and voter registration benchmarks, margin of error estimates may be inaccurate; However, the results for the full sample are estimated to have a margin of error of 2 percentage points in either direction.