If AB 2115 becomes law, California Native Americans would get a formal apology written into state law, and the state would place a memorial plaque in the Capitol to keep that apology on public view.
The bill goes further than a symbolic statement. It says the Legislature apologizes for harms Native Americans suffered from policies enacted, sanctioned or tolerated by that body, and it ties that apology to a plaque that would be installed and maintained in the State Capitol Building.
A public apology, fixed in place
AB 2115 lays out the apology in direct terms. It describes violence against California Native Americans as part of state-supported policies and inaction, and it says those harms helped produce lasting trauma, cultural loss and damage that still reaches tribal communities today.
The measure would also make the apology public in a permanent way. The Secretary of State would submit a final copy to the State Archives for perpetual public viewing, while the Capitol plaque would be designed, approved and maintained through the Department of General Services and the Joint Rules Committee.
More than ceremony
The proposal is authored by Assemblymember James Ramos, with six coauthors: Assemblymembers Damon Connolly, Diane Dixon, John Harabedian, Ash Kalra, Blanca Pacheco and Catherine Stefani. It also includes an appropriation for the plaque and related work.
California already has a Capitol plaque for its apology tied to chattel slavery. AB 2115 would extend that model to Native Americans, putting the state’s responsibility in the building where its laws are made and leaving it there for anyone who walks through.
Sources
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