Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, announced that the time for studying reparations is over and urged immediate initiatives to support minority communities. He vetoed legislation that would have created a commission to study reparations for slavery and historic racial disparities, arguing that Maryland already knows the problems and must now deliver results.
In his veto letter for SB 587, Moore stated that prior commissions and research have thoroughly documented the legacy of slavery, redlining, segregation, and other racial injustices in Maryland. He wrote: “Now is the time for continued action that delivers results for the people we serve.”
Moore emphasized concrete steps his administration has already taken: authorizing a $400 million “Just Communities” initiative targeting neighborhoods impacted by discrimination; increasing procurement awards to Black‑owned businesses; boosting funding for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs); and issuing large‑scale pardons for marijuana convictions that disproportionately affected Black Marylanders.
