SACRAMENTO, Calif.—California is paying reparations to survivors of state-sponsored forced or involuntary sterilizations—which occurred over four decades ago—following a law that took effect Jan. 1. “California is committed to confronting this dark chapter in the state’s past and addressing the impacts of this shameful history still being felt by Californians today,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Dec. 31 statement. “While we can never fully make amends for what they’ve endured, the state will do all it can to ensure survivors of wrongful sterilization receive compensation.” Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), who proposed the forced sterilization compensation program in Assembly Bill 1007 in February 2020, secured a total of $7.5 million to fund the program. Reparation applications will be accepted from now through Dec. 31, 2023. The program will evenly distribute $4.5 million among survivors who are still alive today—at least 600 individuals are eligible by estimate. Aside from the …