WASHINGTON: California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a landmark anti-caste discrimination Bill recently passed by the state assembly, terming it unnecessary and underlining that laws to ban caste-based discrimination already exist in the US state.
The governor’s move has been welcomed by a large segment of the Indian-American community who were opposing the Bill based on the same argument.
“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,” Newsom said on Saturday. The bill, known as ‘SB403’, was recently passed by a large majority by both the House of Representatives and Senate of the California State Assembly. Had he signed the Bill, California would have become the first US state to formally ban caste-based discrimination.
The opponents of the Bill said the governor had prevented the efforts of many to target the Hindus in the state.