New York would create a commission to consider reparations to address the lingering, negative effects of slavery under a bill passed by the state Legislature.
New York would create a commission to consider reparations to address the lingering, negative effects of slavery under a bill passed by the state Legislature on Thursday.
New York is following the lead of California, which became the first state to form a reparations task force in 2020. That group recommended a formal apology from the state on its legacy of racism and discriminatory policies and the creation of an agency to provide a wide range of services for Black residents. They did not recommend specific payments amounts for reparations.
"I'm concerned we're opening a door that was closed in New York State almost 200 years ago," said Republican state Assemblymember Andy Gooddell during floor debates on the bill. Gooddell, who voted against the bill, said he supports existing efforts to bring equal opportunity to all and would like to "continue on that path rather than focus on reparations."
New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who is the first Black person to hold the position, called the legislation "historic." On the federal level, a decades-old proposal to create a commission studying reparations has stalled in Congress.
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