COUNCIL PASSES SLAVE-PROFITS MEASURE.Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer The Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. approved an ordinance Friday requiring companies that do business with the city to disclose profits they received from slavery prior to the Civil War. The ordinance itself does not seek to punish the companies or ask for reparations reparations, payments or other compensation offered as an indemnity for loss or damage. Although the term is used to cover payments made to Holocaust survivors and to Japanese Americans interned during World War II in so-called relocation camps (and used as well to , but requests them to search their archives for any profits they made off slavery, including insurance policies on slaves, and then disclose that information to the city. Councilman Nate Holden Nathaniel "Nate" R. Holden (1929-) served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1987 to 2002. He previously served a term on the California State Senate and was Assistant Chief Deputy to then Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. , the sponsor of the measure, said he wasn't sure whether it would be a precursor to seeking reparations. The first step, he said, is simply to get information. ``With this information being available, hopefully there will be a linkage between the heirs of the slaves and the slave owners This list includes notable individuals for which there is a consensus of evidence of slave ownership. A
In 2000, the council went on record supporting federal legislation seeking reparations for descendants DESCENDANTS. Those who have issued from an individual, and include his children, grandchildren, and their children to the remotest degree. Ambl. 327 2 Bro. C. C. 30; Id. 230 3 Bro. C. C. 367; 1 Rop. Leg. 115; 2 Bouv. n. 1956. 2. of slaves. The city ordinance was passed 11-0 without debate. While the ordinance does not say the information in the disclosure should affect the awarding of city contracts, it does authorize To empower another with the legal right to perform an action. The Constitution authorizes Congress to regulate interstate commerce. authorize v. to officially empower someone to act. (See: authority) the city to terminate a contract if a company fails to make a disclosure. It does provide some exceptions, including for investment of city funds or other contracts in which the city could be hurt financially by not signing a contract. The ordinance is expected to receive final approval in a second vote next week. Harrison Sheppard, (213) 978-0390 harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com |
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