In Pennsylvania, State Rep. Chris Rabb announced plans to introduce major legislation that would award reparations to African-American state residents. Lawmakers in California, New York, Texas, and Vermont have also introduced legislation proposing compensation to the descendants of slaves.
Black lawmakers in New Jersey are trying to pass their own version of H.R. 40. In November, the state’s Legislative Black Caucus introduced a bill to establish a reparations task force to “conduct research and develop proposals to address the generational harms caused by New Jersey’s role in the institution of slavery.” New Jersey was the last of the Northern states to abolish slavery, and Black state representatives believe the state should work to “repair … irreparable harms” caused by slavery.
