ANNAPOLIS, Md. — In a special legislative session on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, the Maryland General Assembly voted to override Gov. Wes Moore’s [D] veto of Senate Bill 587 to establish the Maryland Reparations Commission, a body charged with studying the legacy of slavery and recommending reparative measures for those potentially affected by historical inequality.
The commission will examine federal, state and local policies from the post-Reconstruction era through the Jim Crow period that may have contributed to entrenched racial disparities in areas like housing, education and employment. It mandates a preliminary report by Jan. 1, 2027, and a final set of recommendations by Nov. 1, 2027. Possible reparations options under consideration include formal apologies and monetary compensation such as debt forgiveness, property tax rebates, tuition waivers and other social supports.
Moore vetoed the bill in May 2025, arguing that additional study was unnecessary and that the state should instead focus on direct policy interventions to narrow racial disparities. After the legislature’s override, Moore said he disagreed with lawmakers’ approach but expressed willingness to work collaboratively on “the work of repair” for Black Marylanders…