In a surprising move, Governor of California Gavin Newsom has chosen to veto a controversial bill known as SB403, which many believed was discriminatory and Hinduphobic. In his letter explaining the decision, Governor Newsom emphasized that existing California laws already prohibit discrimination based on a wide range of characteristics, making the bill redundant.
SB403, titled “Discrimination on the basis of ancestry,” was introduced by Senator Aisha Wahab and received approval from the California State Assembly on August 29th of this year, with 50 votes in favor and 3 votes against. However, it could not become law due to Governor Newsom’s veto.
Governor Newsom’s letter to the Members of the California State Senate expressed his stance on the matter: “I am returning Senate Bill 403 without my signature. This bill would define ‘ancestry’ for purposes of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the Unruh Act, and the Education Code to include ‘caste’ and other dimensions of ancestry.
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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. Because discrimination based on caste is already prohibited under these existing categories, this bill is unnecessary.”
#Breaking | Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes #SB403!
With the stroke of his pen, Governor Newsom kills a bill premised on racist rhetoric, a baseless lawsuit, egregious @calcivilrights misconduct & false claims about the Hindu religion.
Our statement:https://t.co/IZJCSvw854
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) October 7, 2023
This decision by Governor Newsom has come as a pleasant surprise to many, considering that he is a staunch Democrat, and California is not typically associated with being pro-conservative. However, the Governor’s veto has thwarted what some have referred to as the Islamoleftists’ concerted efforts to create a contentious environment for the Indian diaspora, particularly on ludicrous charges of caste discrimination, which are as prominent in US as a penguin chilling in the Atacama Desert!
Hindu groups that had been actively opposing the passage of SB403 have applauded Governor Newsom’s decision to veto the bill. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) issued a statement expressing their gratitude to the Governor and hailed it as a “victory for the civil rights of all Californians.”
Samir Kalra, the Managing Director of HAF, commented, “With the stroke of his pen, Governor Newsom has averted a civil rights and constitutional disaster that would have put a target on hundreds of thousands of Californians simply because of their ethnicity or their religious identity, as well as create a slippery slope of facially discriminatory laws. We thank Governor Newsom for listening to the thousands of voices that contacted his office and seeing that SB-403 was premised on racist rhetoric, a baseless lawsuit, egregious Civil Rights Department misconduct, false claims about the Hindu religion and South Asian community at large, and the self-serving, methodologically flawed, caste survey by Equality Labs.”
Samir Kalra, HAF Managing Director stated:
“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.…
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) October 7, 2023
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In summary, Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to veto bill SB403, despite being a prominent Democrat in a largely progressive state like California, has been celebrated by Hindu groups and advocates for civil rights. The Governor’s veto sends a strong message about the importance of upholding existing anti-discrimination laws and preventing the enactment of unnecessary and potentially harmful legislation. This decision is seen as a victory for the civil rights of all Californians and a rejection of divisive and unfounded claims of caste discrimination within the Indian diaspora in the United States.
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