The rocky road of California's reparations experiment.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declined to endorse cash payments recommended by his own task force on slavery reparations, which could cost more than double the state's overall budget. Newsom's predicament of having to choose between endorsing budget-busting checks or angering a key Democratic constituency is a problem of his own making. Critics argue that Newsom will use the lofty proposal to score political points because he views it as a non-starter in the state legislature. The debate comes as Newsom continues to be floated as a possible 2024 Democrat alternative to President Biden, whose job approval ratings have sunk to a career low.