California’s reparations plan aims to eliminate child support debt.

California’s Reparations Task Force Calls for Canceling Child Support Debt for Black Residents

The Reparations Task Force in California has recently released a comprehensive report, spanning over 1,100 pages, urging the state legislature to take action and eliminate child support debt for black residents. The group proposes the removal of interest on overdue child support payments and the clearance of outstanding debt.

Addressing Discrimination and Restoring Families

“These laws have been discriminatory and have caused significant harm, tearing apart African American families,” states the report.

The report highlights the disproportionate burden of child support debt on African Americans. Despite comprising less than 7% of the state’s population, black parents account for 18% of child support debtors. To alleviate this burden, the task force recommends eradicating the debt entirely, while only requiring black child support payers to fulfill the principal amount.

California currently imposes a 10% interest rate on child support debt, which is 3.5 times higher than the national average, as outlined in the report.

Breaking the Cycle of Debt

“A significant number of African American parents are trapped in a cycle of overwhelming debt, hindering their educational pursuits, job training, housing stability, and employment prospects due to suspended professional licenses and driver’s licenses resulting from unpaid child support,” the report asserts.

According to a study from 2003 cited in the report, unpaid interest accounted for 27% of all child support in the state. The task force dedicated two years to crafting this comprehensive report, which is currently under review by the state legislature. The legislature will ultimately decide which recommendations to approve or reject.

Additionally, the report includes a recommendation for the state of California to issue a formal apology for the historical human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed against African slaves and their descendants.

It is worth noting that Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed the bill to establish the Reparations Task Force in 2020.

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