California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a groundbreaking legislation that would have banned caste discrimination in education, housing, and the workplace, potentially making it the first of its kind in the nation.
Senate Bill 403 (SB 403), introduced by State Senator Aisha Wahab, aimed to criminalize discrimination based on ancestry within the state. The proposed legislation had caused divisions within South Asian communities in California.
“I am returning Senate Bill 403 without my signature,” Newsom wrote in a letter addressed to the “Members of the California State Senate,” dated October 7.
The governor explained his rationale behind the veto: “In California, we believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter who they are, where they come from, who they love, or where they live. That is why California already prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other characteristics, and state law specifies that these civil rights protections shall be liberally construed.”
The Washington-based Hindu American Foundation, which led the opposition to the bill, welcomed the veto. “Today, we at the Hindu American Foundation join South Asians across California and the Hindu American community in offering our heartfelt appreciation to California Governor Gavin Newsom for his historically important veto of SB-403. This is a victory for the civil rights of all Californians,” Samir Kalra, managing director of the foundation, said.
Supporters of the bill, however, expressed disappointment at the veto.
Sunita Viswanath, cofounder of the Hindus for Human Rights, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter:
“Devastated that @GavinNewsom vetoed #SB403 and let down the battalion of Americans who fought to #EndCasteDiscrimination in California. A dark day for justice in the United States. Rest assured that anti-caste Americans will dust ourselves off and continue the fight.”
Devastated that @GavinNewsom vetoed #SB403 and let down the batallion of Americans who fought to #EndCasteDiscrimination in California. A dark day for justice in the United States. Rest assured that anti-caste Americans will dust ourselves off and continue the fight. https://t.co/Dv38O39SUd
— Sunita Viswanath (@SunitaSunitaV) October 7, 2023
A Democrat and the first Afghan American woman elected to the state legislature, Wahab introduced the bill on March 22. It received overwhelming support in the California Senate, passing with a vote of 34-1.
The companion bill passed in the state assembly in August with a margin of 50-3.
In recent years, caste has emerged as a significant issue in various cities and states. In February, Seattle became the first U.S. city to prohibit discrimination based on caste following a vote by the city council.
The first-in-the-nation legislation for the city to ban caste-based discrimination was introduced by Seattle City Council’s Indian American member Kshama Sawant, who was born in Mumbai.
Recently, Fresno, California, became the second city in the nation to prohibit caste discrimination. The City Council unanimously voted to include two new protected categories in its municipal code.
Also on Saturday, Newsom vetoed a bill designed to decriminalize the possession and personal use of various hallucinogens, including psychedelic mushrooms. The proposed legislation would have permitted individuals aged 21 and older to possess psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in psychedelic mushrooms. It also aimed to decriminalize dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and mescaline.