Latest news with #SenateBill587
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland legislators say they will override governor's veto, reinstate Reparations Commission bill
Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed 181 bills into law Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The bills he vetoed included one creating a Reparations Commission. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) Gov. Wes Moore's veto of the Maryland Reparations Commission bill came as a shock to lawmakers, but they are confident they can override the veto, making it little more than a temporary setback for the initiative. 'We're not done in getting this bill into a law. That is the ultimately goal, no matter what hurdles are in front of us,' said Delegate Aletheia McCaskill (D-Baltimore County), who sponsored a House version of the measure and helped pass Senate Bill 587, sponsored by Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's). For advocates around the country, however, the shock is still being felt. They worry what the bill's troubles in Maryland — a state with a Black governor, a Black attorney general, a Black House Speaker, a Democratic super-majority and a powerful Legislative Black Caucus — portend for their states. 'Gov. Moore needs to realize that he's not only impacting Maryland, but he's impacting South Carolina and many other states with the veto,' said South Carolina state Rep. John King, a Democrat from Rock Hill. The Maryland bill called for the creation of a commission that would assess specific federal, state and local policies from 1877 to 1965, the post-Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras, that 'led to economic disparities based on race, including housing, segregation and discrimination, redlining, restrictive covenants, and tax policies.' The all-volunteer commission would also examine how public and private institutions may have benefited from those policies, and would then recommend appropriate reparations, which could include statements of apology, monetary compensation, social service assistance, business incentives or child care costs. Unlike previous years, when reparations bills had price tags of $1 million or more, the bill passed this year drew heavily on volunteers and existing resources. It was expected to cost $54,500 in its first year. In his veto letter, Moore praised the work and the intentions of those behind the bill, but said 'now is not the time for another study. Now is the time for continued action that delivers results for the people we serve.' He cited a number of studies over the past 25 years on the legacy of slavery and promised that his legislative agenda next year would include a package of proposals to 'address the barriers that have walled off Black families in Maryland from work, wages and wealth for generations.' Those justifications appeared to be lost on many advocates, however, who called the veto everything from shocking to a betrayal. There is no similar effort in South Carolina. But King expressed his disappointment on his Facebook page Monday, when he called on the South Carolina Democratic Party to rescind an invitation to Moore, who is scheduled to be the featured speaker at the party's annual Blue Palmetto Dinner on May 30. Tickets start at $150 for the party's largest fundraiser of the year, which has featured potential presidential candidates in the past. That includes U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who headlined last year's dinner with Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia. In 2019, King was the first South Carolina legislator to endorse Booker for president. (Booker dropped out of the presidential field in January 2020, a month ahead of South Carolina's then-first-in-the-South primary.) While Moore has said he's not running for president, his speech in South Carolina can be seen as a 2028 audition of sorts. On May 31, the day after Moore's address, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be the keynote speaker at Democrats' convention in the state that last year held the party's first presidential primary. 'I will still support [the] governor, if he decided to run for president,' said King, who spent summers in Maryland where his mother grew up in the Baltimore area. But in light of the reparations veto, 'I don't think the timing is right for him to come to South Carolina,' he said in an interview Tuesday. South Carolina Democratic Party officials did not respond to requests for comment. But as recently as Wednesday, the party sent out emails urging people to buy tickets for the dinner and the chance to 'hear from Maryland Governor Wes Moore.' 'Tickets will sell out,' the email said. King's colleague, Rep. Annie McDaniel, a Democrat from Fairfield County, said she also disagrees with Moore's veto. 'I'm not saying whether the governor's right or wrong. I'm just saying that the way he chose to handle this is not good,' McDaniel said in an interview Tuesday with Maryland Matters. 'It's not good for the plight that African Americans are on now in this state.' But McDaniel, who chairs the state's Legislative Black Caucus, also said Moore should attend the Blue Palmetto Dinner and explain himself. She said she would also like to see an invitation extended to Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery), the chair of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus. 'I think that would be an awesome opportunity,' McDaniel said. 'I don't want the conversation to be one-sided. I believe in fairness. I just think that having her [Wilkins] in the room and having him [Moore] in the room at the same time will give us an opportunity to hear both sides.' Wilkins declined to comment. A spokesperson for the governor's office also declined to comment. Moore's veto Friday was announced hours after he spoke at commencement for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, one of the state's four historically Black colleges and universities, and the day before an unrelated reparations rally in Washington, D.C. Moore to veto reparations bill, one of a list of measures he will reject The governor's decision has sparked some conversation on online broadcasts and among civil rights organizations. David Johns, CEO and executive director of the National Black Justice Collective, called the governor's decision in a statement Tuesday 'a betrayal of generational efforts to pursue truth, healing, and repair.' 'As the first Black governor of Maryland, Gov. Moore had an opportunity to lead with moral clarity, political courage, and historical awareness,' Johns said in a statement Tuesday. 'Instead, his decision represents a dangerous step backward in the long and necessary march toward racial justice.' Outside the State House on Tuesday, as the governor was inside for the last bill-signing of the year, a small group of protesters stood on Lawyers Mall, holding signs and chanting: 'What do we want? Reparations! When do we want it? Now!' The rally was led by Malik Shabazz, an attorney representing Black Lawyers for Justice, who said the legislature should override Moore's veto. 'Clearly, the governor's not for reparations,' Shabazz said to reporters. 'And clearly, he's looking to cut off a study and calculation of an assessment of the damages of what has been done to the people and the constituents of his own state, and that's unacceptable.' But Linda Lee Tarver, with the Black conservative organization Project 21, said Wednesday that reparations aren't the answer to help Black communities. Tarver, who runs a political consulting business in Lansing, Michigan, agreed with Moore's veto message that studies have been, and continue to be, done by other organizations. She referenced her own group's policy recommendations, which include election integrity, reducing 'harmful 'environmental justice' agenda,' making health care more market oriented and protecting science, technology, engineering and math instruction 'from the poison of 'equity' activists.' She said she was surprised at the apparent disconnect between Moore and the Legislative Black Caucus, which had endorsed the reparations bill. 'I believe that Gov. Wes Moore got caught in pretending to care for reparations, and then his pen was required, and he punted,' Tarver said. 'It's shameful. Just say up front you don't believe in it.' Disconnect or not, McCaskill said the debate is healthy — and the debate will continue as the commission moves forward, as she believes it will. 'I am excited to hear that it's on folks' minds, in opposition or proponents for it,' she said. 'This commission is important to hear from all Marylanders because it will eventually affect every Marylander.' SC Daily Gazette Editor Seanna Adcox contributed to this report. Like the SC Daily Gazette, Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers confident they can override Moore's veto, reinstate Reparations Commission bill
Malik Shabazz representing Black Lawyers for Justice, second from left, leads a rally May 20 in Annapolis demanding the Maryland General Assembly override a veto by Gov. Wes Moore (D) of the Reparations Commission bill. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) Gov. Wes Moore's veto of the Maryland Reparations Commission bill came as a shock to lawmakers here, but they are confident they can override the veto, making it little more than a temporary setback for the initiative. 'We're not done in getting this bill into a law. That is the ultimately goal, no matter what hurdles are in front of us,' said Del. Aletheia McCaskill (D-Baltimore County), who sponsored a House version of the measure and helped pass Senate Bill 587, sponsored by Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's). For advocates around the country, however, the shock is still being felt. They worry about what the bill's troubles in Maryland — a state with a Black governor, a Black attorney general, a Black House Speaker, a Democratic super-majority and a powerful Legislative Black Caucus — portend for efforts in their own states. 'Gov. Moore needs to realize that he's not only impacting Maryland, but he's impacting South Carolina and many other states with the veto,' said South Carolina state Rep. John King, a Democrat from the Rock Hill area of the state. The Maryland bill called for the creation of a commission that would assess specific federal, state and local policies from 1877 to 1965, the post-Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras, that 'led to economic disparities based on race, including housing, segregation and discrimination, redlining, restrictive covenants, and tax policies.' The all-volunteer commission would also have examined how public and private institutions may have benefited from those policies, and would then recommend appropriate reparations, which could include statements of apology, monetary compensation, social service assistance, business incentives or child care costs. Unlike previous years, when reparations bills had price tags of $1 million or more, the bill passed this year drew heavily on volunteers and existing resources, and was expected to cost $54,500 in its first year. In his veto letter, Moore praised the work and the intentions of those behind the bill, but said 'now is not the time for another study. Now is the time for continued action that delivers results for the people we serve.' He cited a number of studies over the past 25 years on the legacy of slavery, and promised that his legislative agenda next year would include a package of proposals to 'address the barriers that have walled off Black families in Maryland from work, wages and wealth for generations.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Those justifications appeared to be lost on many advocates, however, who called the veto everything from shocking to a betrayal. King expressed his disappointment on his Facebook page Monday, when he called on his state's Democratic Party to rescind an invitation to Moore, who is scheduled to be the featured speaker at the party's annual Blue Palmetto Dinner on May 30 in South Carolina. Tickets start at $150 for the dinner, which has featured potential presidential candidates in the past, like U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who headlined last year's dinner with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). 'I will still support [the] governor, if he decided to run for president,' said King, who spent summers in Maryland where his mother grew up in the Baltimore area. But in light of the reparations veto, 'I don't think the timing is right for him to come to South Carolina,' he said in an interview Tuesday. South Carolina Democratic Party officials did not respond to requests for comment, but as recently as Wednesday the party was sending out email appeals urging people to buy tickets for the dinner and the chance to 'hear from Maryland Governor Wes Moore.' King's colleague, Rep. Annie McDaniel, a Democrat from Fairfield, said she also disagrees with Moore's veto. 'I'm not saying whether the governor's right or wrong. I'm just saying that the way he chose to handle this is not good,' McDaniel said in an interview Tuesday. 'It's not good for the plight that African Americans are on now in this state.' But McDaniel, who chairs the state's Legislative Black Caucus, also said Moore should attend the Blue Palmetto Dinner and explain himself. She said she would also like to see an invitation extended to Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery), the chair of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus. 'I think that would be an awesome opportunity,' McDaniel said. 'I don't want the conversation to be one-sided. I believe in fairness. I just think that having her [Wilkins] in the room and having him [Moore] in the room at the same time will give us an opportunity to hear both sides.' Wilkins declined to comment Tuesday. A spokesperson for the governor's office also declined to comment. Moore's veto Friday was announced hours after he spoke at commencement for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, one of the state's four historically Black colleges and universities, and the day before an unrelated reparations rally in Washington, D.C. Moore to veto reparations bill, one of a list of measures he will reject The governor's decision has sparked some conversation on online broadcasts and among civil rights organizations. David Johns, CEO and executive director of the National Black Justice Collective, called the governor's decision in a statement Tuesday 'a betrayal of generational efforts to pursue truth, healing, and repair.' 'As the first Black governor of Maryland, Gov. Moore had an opportunity to lead with moral clarity, political courage, and historical awareness,' Johns said in a statement Tuesday. 'Instead, his decision represents a dangerous step backward in the long and necessary march toward racial justice.' Outside the State House on Tuesday, as the governor was inside for the last bill-signing of the year, a small group of protesters stood on Lawyers Mall, holding signs and chanting: 'What do we want? Reparations! When do we want it? Now!' The rally was led by Malik Shabazz, an attorney representing Black Lawyers for Justice, who said the legislature should override Moore's veto. 'Clearly, the governor's not for reparations,' Shabazz said to reporters. 'And clearly, he's looking to cut off a study and calculation of an assessment of the damages of what has been done to the people and the constituents of his own state, and that's unacceptable.' But Linda Lee Tarver, with the Black conservative organization Project 21, said Wednesday that reparations aren't the answer to help Black communities. Tarver, who runs a political consulting business in Lansing, Michigan, agreed with Moore's veto message that studies have been, and continue to be, done by other organizations. She referenced her own group's policy recommendations, which include election integrity, reducing 'harmful 'environmental justice' agenda,' making health care more market oriented and protecting science, technology, engineering and math instruction 'from the poison of 'equity' activists.' She said she was surprised at the apparent disconnect between Moore and the Legislative Black Caucus, which had endorsed the reparations bill. 'I believe that Gov. Wes Moore got caught in pretending to care for reparations, and then his pen was required, and he punted,' Tarver said. 'It's shameful. Just say up front you don't believe in it.' Disconnect or not, McCaskill said the debate is healthy — and the debate will continue as the commission moves forward, as she believes it will. 'I am excited to hear that it's on folks' minds, in opposition or proponents for it,' she said. 'This commission is important to hear from all Marylanders because it will eventually affect every Marylander.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed legislation poses obstacle for Southwest Mill District in High Point
HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — High Point's ambitious plan to revitalize the Southwest Mill District is now facing unexpected delays. Even though the city leaders approved it on March 24, proposed state laws are introducing new hurdles. The purpose of the Southwest Mill District was to bring new jobs, homes and stores along Green Drive. Not everyone was on board with the plan. 'Why come to a neighborhood that's lower income and take over what they have? A lot of the people here work their whole lives to have the houses that they have,' said Floyd Rich, a Southwest High Point resident. Rich is glad there's a piece of legislation that's putting the brakes on the development project. 'I'm happy about it,' he said. Rich said he hopes the hurdle will allow people like himself to voice their opposition again. 'Fix the community as a whole. Not just buildings and making money,' he said. According to City Interim Planning Director Michael Harvey, the city was about to reach out to property owners who would be impacted in the district to finalize the official zoning map, but proposed state laws, Senate Bill 587 and House Bill 765, are causing some concern. The project calls for downzoning properties that are part of this district, and that's what's at the heart of the proposed legislation. If it passes, the city would need written consent from property owners to make it happen. Also, local governments could be restricted from enacting zoning regulations stricter than the state laws. '…It would be more productive to temporarily delay initiation of outreach efforts until we had a clearer picture of the possible impacts brought on by the adoption of draft legislation,' Harvey said. Despite this obstacle, High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson said the city is still excited about the potential of the plan. City leaders are confident the Southwest Mill District will become a reality. 'It means that you take a little more time to go back to the drawing board to try to figure plans out. Despite the delay, we still feel confident this will move forward,' Jefferson said. The mayor said they could have a clearer picture in the next few months. According to Harvey, the city will proceed with what they can, including establishing purpose and goals for the district. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore gets new challenger in Green Party's Andy Ellis
BALTIMORE – Green Party candidate Andy Ellis will throw his hat into the ring of growing challengers to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, as he seeks to inspire progressive change in Annapolis for years to come. Ellis, a Northeast Baltimore resident and Nielsen business intelligence lead, is realistic about his slim chance of victory as a third-party candidate. He hopes his influence on issues like corporate oversight and reparations for slavery will inspire the two major parties to incorporate new policy ideas in future elections. 'If Larry Hogan or [Bob] Ehrlich are the Republican candidates, then it's gonna be a lot closer than it was when Dan Cox was the Republican candidate,' Ellis said. 'And there's gonna be more ability to leverage one of the two parties to take on the issues that we're raising and some voters will care about.' Ellis has criticized Moore for refusing to take a public position on Senate Bill 587, which would establish a commission to study reparations payments for the descendants of slaves. He believes Maryland is in a unique position to lead on this issue because slavery was legal in the state until 1864. But since Maryland never seceded from the Union during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation did not apply to slaves held here. 'I don't imagine that he wants this to be one of the issues that either Democrats or Republicans can saddle him with,' Ellis said of Moore, hinting the governor's potential run for president in 2028 could be the reason he has not taken a strong position on reparations. 'I think he wishes that this doesn't land on his desk.' The governor's office declined to respond to Ellis' suggestion that Moore, Maryland's first Black governor, wants to avoid a tough political decision on the reparations bill. Publicly, Moore has said he will not run for president in 2028. Earlier in his career, Ellis coached Towson University's debate team to a national championship in 2008. Two members of that team, Deven Cooper and Dayvon Love, became the first Black students to ever win a national policy debate championship. Now the public policy director of Leaders Of A Beautiful Struggle, a Baltimore-based group promoting 'Black Independence,' Love told The Baltimore Sun he's confident in the ability of Ellis, who is white, to raise issues on behalf of Black communities. 'He is unique being a white person that has engaged in a rigorous study of Black freedom struggle, and the intellectual, political [and] cultural resources of revolutionary movements,' Love said of Ellis. On the economy, Ellis proposes tax increases for income brackets beyond the $500,000-a-year threshold adopted by Moore's budget plan this year. He wants to use this revenue from upper-middle income taxpayers to keep funding the state's Blueprint education plan, as well as provide tax incentives for manufacturing and local small businesses to expand within the state. On energy, Ellis implied his opposition to 'extension cord' projects like the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, arguing Virginia data centers would primarily benefit from its proposed high-voltage transmission lines. He says the state needs to take on energy corporations like Baltimore Gas and Electric to protect consumers from high prices. 'I also think that we need to figure out if there is a way to wrest control of the energy supply back from the corporations that we've largely allowed to consolidate market share,' Ellis said. Moore has not officially filed his candidacy for reelection in 2026, but he has said multiple times publicly that he plans to run for a second term. So far, just one candidate has filed to run for governor next year: Republican John Myrick, who chose former state Del. Brenda Thiam, R-Washington, as his running mate for lieutenant governor. Ed Hale Sr., a former banking executive who owns the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team, has announced his intent to run on the Democratic ticket but not yet filed his candidacy. Ellis told The Sun he hasn't filed because he is still choosing his running mate. Maryland law requires gubernatorial and lieutenant governor candidates to file together on a ticket. -----------
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore gets new challenger in Green Party's Andy Ellis
BALTIMORE – Green Party candidate Andy Ellis will throw his hat into the ring of growing challengers to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, as he seeks to inspire progressive change in Annapolis for years to come. Ellis, a Northeast Baltimore resident and Nielsen business intelligence lead, is realistic about his slim chance of victory as a third-party candidate. He hopes his influence on issues like corporate oversight and reparations for slavery will inspire the two major parties to incorporate new policy ideas in future elections. 'If Larry Hogan or [Bob] Ehrlich are the Republican candidates, then it's gonna be a lot closer than it was when Dan Cox was the Republican candidate,' Ellis said. 'And there's gonna be more ability to leverage one of the two parties to take on the issues that we're raising and some voters will care about.' Ellis has criticized Moore for refusing to take a public position on Senate Bill 587, which would establish a commission to study reparations payments for the descendants of slaves. He believes Maryland is in a unique position to lead on this issue because slavery was legal in the state until 1864. But since Maryland never seceded from the Union during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation did not apply to slaves held here. 'I don't imagine that he wants this to be one of the issues that either Democrats or Republicans can saddle him with,' Ellis said of Moore, hinting the governor's potential run for president in 2028 could be the reason he has not taken a strong position on reparations. 'I think he wishes that this doesn't land on his desk.' The governor's office declined to respond to Ellis' suggestion that Moore, Maryland's first Black governor, wants to avoid a tough political decision on the reparations bill. Publicly, Moore has said he will not run for president in 2028. Earlier in his career, Ellis coached Towson University's debate team to a national championship in 2008. Two members of that team, Deven Cooper and Dayvon Love, became the first Black students to ever win a national policy debate championship. Now the public policy director of Leaders Of A Beautiful Struggle, a Baltimore-based group promoting 'Black Independence,' Love told The Baltimore Sun he's confident in the ability of Ellis, who is white, to raise issues on behalf of Black communities. 'He is unique being a white person that has engaged in a rigorous study of Black freedom struggle, and the intellectual, political [and] cultural resources of revolutionary movements,' Love said of Ellis. On the economy, Ellis proposes tax increases for income brackets beyond the $500,000-a-year threshold adopted by Moore's budget plan this year. He wants to use this revenue from upper-middle income taxpayers to keep funding the state's Blueprint education plan, as well as provide tax incentives for manufacturing and local small businesses to expand within the state. On energy, Ellis implied his opposition to 'extension cord' projects like the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, arguing Virginia data centers would primarily benefit from its proposed high-voltage transmission lines. He says the state needs to take on energy corporations like Baltimore Gas and Electric to protect consumers from high prices. 'I also think that we need to figure out if there is a way to wrest control of the energy supply back from the corporations that we've largely allowed to consolidate market share,' Ellis said. Moore has not officially filed his candidacy for reelection in 2026, but he has said multiple times publicly that he plans to run for a second term. So far, just one candidate has filed to run for governor next year: Republican John Myrick, who chose former state Del. Brenda Thiam, R-Washington, as his running mate for lieutenant governor. Ed Hale Sr., a former banking executive who owns the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team, has announced his intent to run on the Democratic ticket but not yet filed his candidacy. Ellis told The Sun he hasn't filed because he is still choosing his running mate. Maryland law requires gubernatorial and lieutenant governor candidates to file together on a ticket. -----------
