A supermajority of Maryland General Assembly Democrats have agreed to nullify Gov. Wes Moore’s veto of a reparations study.
Final approval of the bill, that creates a Maryland Reparations Commission, arrived on Tuesday (Dec 16).
In May, Moore, currently the nation’s only Black governor, said in his veto letter that it was a difficult decision to veto the bill, which was a priority of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.
“This state should be leading every other state on reparations, but we’re not,” said Del. Gabe Acevero, a Democrat from Montgomery County, standing in support of the override. “But today is a day that we can all be proud because what we’re doing is ensuring that we are correcting a historical injustice.”
Per Maryland Matters, “the bill establishes a 23-member voluntary commission to assess specific federal, state and local policies from 1877 to 1965, the post-Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras, and to examine how public and private institutions may have benefited from policies that led to discrimination. The commission is also charged with recommending appropriate reparations, from a statement of apology to monetary compensation or social service assistance.”
After his veto was overridden, Moore said that while he disagrees with the legislature’s decision, “I am eager to move forward in partnership on the work of repair that we all agree is an urgent and pressing need.”
“I believe the time for action is now – and we must continue moving forward with the work of repair immediately,” Moore said in a statement. “That mission is especially vital given the immediate and ongoing effects of this federal administration on our constituents, including communities that have been historically left behind.”
Moore, also shared that he still has concerns about unfunded mandates and multiyear analyses.
“As the Trump Administration advances a full-scale assault on Maryland and Marylanders,” the Democratic governor said, “I still believe we must prioritize policies that protect our people, here and now, while the lives of Marylanders unravel in real time as a result of White House decision-making.“
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill in 2023 designed to examine what New York reparation payments could look like.