Ban on caste discrimination deemed ‘unnecessary’ by California governor

Activists in the state are dealt a blow as Gavin Newsom says the state's laws already offer civil rights protections

California activists against caste discrimination faced a defeat on Saturday as Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill that would add caste to a list of protected categories under the state's existing anti-discrimination laws.

In a statement, Newsom called the bill unnecessary", explaining that 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".