General Assembly overrides Gov. Moore’s veto on reparations commission, other bills

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Studies on reparations and climate change in Maryland now won’t have to clear major state legislative hurdles, thanks to the General Assembly’s override of a slew of bills on Tuesday.

The overrides took place after the Maryland General Assembly convened to elect Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk, D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties, the new Speaker of the House of Delegates. The lawmakers reconsidered various bills vetoed by Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, before ultimately overriding 18, including notable legislation to establish the Maryland Reparations Commission. 

The bill, a priority of the Legislative Black Caucus during the 2025 regular legislative session, would establish the commission to take two years to delve into research to determine if Marylanders whose families were impacted by slavery or unjust government policies should receive reparations.

Moore shocked the legislature when he, the state’s first Black governor, vetoed the legislation, which passed with overwhelming Democratic approval in both chambers. This move was part of a broader break from his norm: In past years, he only vetoed a handful of bills after each session. In 2025, though, he prevented 29 from becoming law.

“I will always protect and defend the full history of African Americans in our state and country,” Moore said in his May letter vetoing the reparations commission bill. “But in light of the many important studies that have taken place on this issue over nearly three decades, now is the time to focus on the work itself: Narrowing the racial wealth gap, expanding homeownership, uplifting entrepreneurs of color, and closing the foundational disparities that lead to inequality — from food insecurity to education.”

Arguing for the override in his chamber, Sen. Charles Sydnor, D-Baltimore County, said reversing Moore’s veto “does not stop the governor from acting on those topics he has expressed support for.”

“The recommendations will ensure that, when Maryland acts specifically in the name of reparations, it does so with clarity, credibility and permanence,” he said. “If the legislature or community leaders want a durable, defensible roadmap for redress, a focused commission remains the appropriate mechanism to convert fragment studies into coordinated recommendations.”

No further debate took place in the chamber after Sydnor sat down. The veto was overridden on a margin of 31-14.

‘Specific, documented, quantified evidence’

The House chamber held a debate ahead of their official veto override.

Del. Lauren Arikan, R-Harford, in opposition to overriding Moore’s veto, noted that the legislature recognized “the horrors of slavery” in 2007, issuing a public apology.

“Folks, a lot of us are standing with the governor on this veto for, partly, what he put in his letter — that he felt that it wasn’t necessary, that he’s made historic contributions to trying to right some of the wrongs of the past for our Black community in Maryland,” Arikan said. “But additionally because, if our diversity is truly our strength, issues like this are incredibly divisive and harmful to our unity.”

In his support of the override, Del. Caylin Young, D-Baltimore City, he said his affirmative vote was “not an act of opposition” to the governor, but “an act of constitutional defense,” noting that “race-conscious” government equity programs implemented by the Moore administration “must survive strict scrutiny” or risk being struck down, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

“That is to say that we must have an evidentiary record showing the direct nexus between specific government discrimination and present-day harm,” said Young. “Not general history, not good intentions. Specific, documented, quantified evidence, and, without it, a federal judge can and will strike down our equity programs as unconstitutional racial preferences.”

The veto was overridden on a margin of 93-35 in the House.

In a statement, the Legislative Black Caucus said Tuesday’s override “marks Maryland’s first-ever step toward reparations.” And, though the caucus’ opinion differs from Moore’s, its members plan to keep working hand-in-hand with the governor to make Maryland more equitable.

“Democracy and partnership require navigating differing perspectives, and this moment underscores our shared resolve to work together,” the statement reads. “The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland stands united with Governor Moore and our colleagues as we continue the work of building a more just and inclusive Maryland.”

Climate change, data center impact research renewed

The legislature also overrode the veto on legislation to establish the RENEW Act study, which, after completed by the comptroller’s office, will give policymakers critical information about the costs related to storm damage, health outcomes tied to hotter summers and the damage extreme weather events cause.

Though he vetoed the bill, Moore announced Friday that he signed an executive order to fully fund the study across two years, rather than a single year. The funding includes $30,000 in philanthropic money and $470,000 from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, which reinvests money garnered from greenhouse gas emissions auctions and utilities’ Alternative Compliance Payments.

Moore’s executive action left climate advocates unclear as to whether the legislature would move forward with the override. The General Assembly ultimately did so on a margin of 31-13 in the Senate and 98-37 in the House.

“Today it’s official that the gov and the general assembly are in complete agreement that Maryland needs the RENEW Act,” Jamie DeMarco of DeMarco Advocacy told The Daily Record in an interview after Moore’s veto was overridden.

The General Assembly additionally overrode Moore’s veto on legislation that will require the Maryland Department of the Environment, the state Energy Administration and the University of Maryland School of Business to analyze the potential environmental, energy and economic impacts that new data centers will have on the state.

Moore’s veto of this legislation cited the cost of the study, as the state dealt with a poor budget outlook.

In support of overriding the veto, Sydnor referenced subject matter experts’ during a community meeting he held two weeks ago: “We are currently rushing to approve data center projects through a poorly planned, chaotic process that lacks a full-proof regulatory framework to protect our communities from harm.” 

“Amidst this affordability crisis and the most extreme wealth inequality in modern history, we cannot promise families of Maryland that they will see the revenues or community benefits of these projects,” Sydnor said. 

The Senate overrode the governor’s veto unanimously. The House enacted the bill on a vote of 111-24.