❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Maryland General Assembly voted to override Governor Wes Moore’s (D) veto of a bill creating a slavery reparations commission.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Maryland General Assembly, Gov. Wes Moore, and state Delegates Matthew Morgan (R) and Terri Hill (D).
📍WHEN & WHERE: The vote took place on Tuesday in Maryland.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This bill betrays the original intention, the unifying event of the civil rights movement. It’s immoral, and it’s fiscally ruinous to this state,” said Del. Matthew Morgan.
🎯IMPACT: SB 587 establishes a commission to study potential reparations and is set to deliver its final report by November 2027.
State lawmakers in Maryland overrode a veto from Governor Wes Moore (D) to adopt Senate Bill (SB) 587, legislation that establishes a government commission to study reparations for residents whose ancestors had been enslaved. Late Tuesday, the Maryland state Senate voted 31 to 14 to override the veto, while the state House of Delegates voted 93-35 to override. Both chambers surpassed the three-fifths threshold needed to circumvent the governor.
The Maryland Reparations Commission, established by the legislation, is now tasked with studying and making “recommendations relating to appropriate benefits to be made to individuals whose ancestors were enslaved in the State or were impacted by certain inequitable government policies.” A preliminary report to the Maryland General Assembly is required to be submitted by January 1, 2027, and a final report must be submitted to the governor and state legislature by November 1, 2027. The commission will explore potential reparations, including monetary compensation, property tax rebates, childcare support, debt forgiveness, and tuition waivers for higher education.
Gov. Moore had initially moved to veto the bill in May of this year, contending that the state already has engaged in multiple studies on slavery reparations and that the lawmakers pushing the issue would better serve their constituents by focusing on policies that directly address alleged racial disparities. In the veto letter sent to Senate President Bill Ferguson (D), Gov. Moore noted that the Maryland state government had established numerous commissions and panels over the last 25 years examining a myriad of related issues.
The legislation drew uniform opposition from Republican lawmakers. Speaking on the state House floor on Tuesday, Delegate Matthew Morgan (R) warned the bill was a move toward “race-bait handouts.” He stated, “This bill betrays the original intention, the unifying event of the civil rights movement. It’s immoral, and it’s fiscally ruinous to this state, and it sends a message to the generations out there now in Maryland that if you’re concerned about fairness, dignity, opportunity… flee Maryland.”
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland celebrated the override vote, declaring it a “landmark action” in a post on social media. Likewise, Del. Terri Hill (D) said the establishment of the commission is a move that she and fellow Democrat lawmakers “still feel is the right one.”
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