After a bill to create a Maryland Reparations Commission passed in the Maryland General Assembly, it remains unclear if Governor Wes Moore plans to sign it or not.

The legislation would establish a commission to study, and make recommendations for, potential reparations for slavery and to those who continue to feel the lingering effects of racial discrimination in the state.

“This is not a conversation about paying people today, but it is a conversation about what are the appropriate remedies, but also, what are the nexuses to the historical pieces of legislation or the historical policies that were put in place in the same halls we serve in today that have had that negative impact, and we have a duty to remedy those,” said Del. Caylin Young, a Democrat.

The legislation, which was a priority of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, outlines possible remedies, which can include financial compensation, along with other types of assistance.

The bill that passed in Maryland is similar to commissions that have been created in California, Illinois and New York. All of the commissions, including in Maryland, are not paid positions, but members can be eligible for having some of their expenses reimbursed.

In 2024, California budgeted $12 million toward reparations legislation, which has drawn concern from some lawmakers, worried about the state’s fiscal challenges, amid challenging budget debates this legislative session.

“‘How do we pay for?’ I think that’s a conversation for another day,” Young said, as he re-emphasized that the importance of the commission was to analyze and spark conversation about inequities that may have been caused by previous policies.

Republican Sen. Justin Ready said, “I question whether using taxpayer money would ever be appropriate in this context. Even going back to when reparations were paid to survivors of the Holocaust, they went after companies that were involved, not after taxpayers.”

Another is whether Gov. Wes Moore will sign the legislation or allow the bill to become law without his signature.

So far, he has yet to clearly state his position on this bill.

“There is no doubt that the impact of slavery still continues to be felt on the people of this state, the northern-most southern state in the entire country. But, I also know I’ve got hundreds of bills that I still have yet to go through and when I look through it with a lens of making sure we are being fiscally disciplined and responsible in this moment and investing in our people, that’s how I will make the decision on which bills get my signature,” Gov. Moore said.

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