The Judicial Committee of the General Assembly met Tuesday afternoon to discuss compensation for victims of North Carolinas Eugenics Board.

In 1933 the state legislature officially authorized the practice of sterilization via the Eugenics Board of North Carolina. The board actively sanctioned the forced sterilization of an estimated 7,600 people until 1977, when the program was shut down. According to Department of Administration records, many of these victims were African American and female.

In January, a task force of five members approved the recommendation to compensate affected families with a payment of $50,000. Gov. Bev Perdue allotted $10.3 million in her budget proposal to allow these payments. Tuesdays discussion of the Eugenics Compensation Program bill brought about mixed reactions to the payments, as well as more details on who qualifies to receive them.

Representative Larry Womble of Forsyth County, made a strong appeal when discussing the bill.

It is a bill that separates North Carolina from the rest of the world, Womble said. This is an auspicious time in North Carolina history.

In order to qualify for monetary compensation as stipulated by the bill, sterilizations must have been court-ordered. In addition, families of victims who were alive as of March 1, 2010 can receive compensation on the deceaseds behalf.

Charmaine Fuller Cooper, executive director of the North Carolina Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation and graduate of N.C. States masters program in public administration, isnt convinced that monetary compensation is enough for every victim.

Some may need mental health services. Everyone has been affected differently, for some the money would be helpful, but then it becomes a question of how much, Fuller Cooper said.

According to Elaine Riddick, an outspoken victim of the Boards actions, the $50,000 doesnt cut it.

This is a huge smack in my familys face, Riddick said.

Go here to see the original:

Eugenics victims to recieve reparation