In a 33-3 vote, the California Senate passed a bill that would create a 9 member task force to conduct research into slavery and develop a plan to give reparations for Black Americans in the state. The bill will soon head to the California Assembly where it will have to pass a final vote before the task force can begin planning. While California was a “free state” before the Civil War, many lawmakers believe it to be set up in a way that supports a racial caste system in which the effects of slavery continue to hurt Black Americans today. If the bill is passed, the task force will begin meeting by June 2021. California now joins Texas, New York, and Vermont who have also considered similar legislation, according to a legislative analysis.