California task force proposes reparations for slavery that could cost taxpayers up to $223 billion

California created a task force to study reparations for slavery, and it recommended cash payments that could cost the state up to $1.2 million per recipient.
Congress members aim to revive a push for federal reparations that could cost at least $14 trillion to address harms "since the founding."
The reparations proposals face criticism as "woke ideology" and are broadly unpopular, with only 3 in 10 adults supporting reparations for descendants of slaves.
California's task force struggled to determine eligibility criteria and did not specify payment amounts but suggested the state owes at least $500 billion for years of discrimination.
Advocates argue reparations are necessary to address racial inequities, while critics say proposals rely on "greed, division, and fear."