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Wes Moore, the nation’s lone sitting Black governor, diverged from fellow Democratic governors in rejecting a measure that would have studied reparations.
May 18, 2025, 10:39 a.m. ET
Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland has vetoed legislation that sought to make recommendations on how to remedy the harms caused by slavery and racial discrimination, a notable setback in the movement for reparations delivered by the nation’s only sitting Black governor.
The move on Friday sets Mr. Moore apart from other Democratic governors who have approved similar measures in recent years and comes as the party grapples with the role that identity politics played in its widespread electoral losses last year.
The bill would have created a commission to research how many Maryland residents have ancestors who were enslaved in the state and recommend reparations that could have included formal apologies, monetary compensation, property tax rebates, college tuition waivers or assistance buying a home, among other possibilities.
Calling it a “difficult decision,” Mr. Moore said he vetoed the bill because the state had sufficiently studied the legacy of slavery.
“The scholarship on this topic is both vast in scope and robust in scale,” he wrote in a veto message.
“While I appreciate the work that went into this legislation, I strongly believe now is not the time for another study. Now is the time for continued action that delivers results for the people we serve.”
