ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland will create a commission to study potential reparations for slavery after lawmakers voted Tuesday to override a veto by Gov. Wes Moore — currently the nation’s only Black governor — that disappointed many fellow Democrats.

Moore said in his veto letter in May that it was a difficult decision to veto the bill, which was a priority of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. But he wrote there has been enough study of the legacy of slavery, and it was now time to “focus on the work itself” to address it.

But Democrats who control both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly decided the commission was needed to better examine how to do that.

“This topic isn’t easy, but, again, without formal study, reparations risk being dismissed as symbolic or unconstitutional, regardless of moral merit,” said Sen. Charles Sydnor, a Democrat.

After his veto was overridden, Moore said that while he disagrees with the legislature’s decision, “I am eager to move forward in partnership on the work of repair that we all agree is an urgent and pressing need.”

“I believe the time for action is now -– and we must continue moving forward with the work of repair immediately,” Moore said in a statement. “That mission is especially vital given the immediate and ongoing effects of this federal administration on our constituents, including communities that have been historically left behind.”

Potential reparations outlined in the bill include official statements of apology, monetary compensation, property tax rebates, social service assistance, as well as licensing and permit fee waivers and reimbursement. Reparations also could include assistance with making a down payment on a home, business incentives, childcare, debt forgiveness and tuition payment waivers for higher education.

Maryland’s Black population is about 30%, the highest percentage of any state outside of the Deep South.

Support for reparations gained momentum in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. However, the issue has been a difficult one, particularly for high-profile Democrats, and comes amid a broader conservative backlash over how race, history and inequality are handled in public institutions.

“At a time of growing attacks on diversity and equity, today’s action reaffirms our shared commitment to truth-telling, accountability, and meaningful progress for Black Marylanders,” the state’s Legislative Black Caucus said in a statement.

In October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a mixed bag for proponents of bills aimed at addressing racist and discriminatory policies against African Americans. He signed a law authorizing $6 million for California State University to study how to confirm an individual’s status as a descendant of an enslaved person. But he vetoed other bills the California Legislative Black Caucus championed as tools to atone for the state’s history.

Newsom, who is considering running for president in 2028, signed a law last year to formally apologize for slavery and its lingering effects on Black Californians.

Moore has said he is not planning to run for president in 2028, but he has continued to cultivate a national profile that has drawn pundits’ attention as a potential White House contender.

New York City lawmakers approved legislation last year to study the city’s significant role in slavery and consider reparations to descendants of enslaved people.

In 2021, Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, became the first U.S. city to create a reparations plan for its Black residents, using tax revenue from the sale of recreational marijuana.

As recently as a few years ago, Americans viewed the prospect of reparations mostly negatively. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2021 found that only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults said descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid in some way, such as given land or money. About 7 in 10 said these descendants should not be repaid.

Maryland lawmakers did not take up congressional redistricting in their one-day special session. Moore has expressed interest in pursuing a new map, which could come up when lawmakers convene in January for their annual 90-day session. However, the state Senate president has said he doesn’t support moving forward with a new map. Democrats hold a 7-1 advantage over Republicans in the state’s eight congressional districts.

WEST SACRAMENTO — The Angels are trying to find the right balance with Christian Moore.

Moore, their top position player prospect, was on the bench again on Saturday, as he has been for five of the last seven games. Before that, he started five in a row.

Both Luis Rengifo are Yoán Moncada are performing better than Moore. But those two players are free agents at the end of the season, while Moore figures to be a part of the Angels’ long-term lineup.

“He’s going to get the lion’s share of this thing between now and 2030, for sure,” interim manager Ray Montgomery said.

Montgomery’s big picture perspective notwithstanding, it’s reasonable to ask why Moore isn’t playing every day right now.

“I don’t want to sacrifice his development any more than I want to limit what Yo and Luis can do at the same time,” Montgomery said. “I don’t know the answer to that entirely, other than to say I agree that if (Moore) sits too long, it can be detrimental. We don’t want to do that. We’re managing through that.”

Montgomery has been asked about Moore just about every day that he has not put him in the lineup over the past week. Moore didn’t start any of the three games against the Dodgers earlier this week, which could at least partly be explained by the Dodgers having four lefties in the bullpen. Moncada can’t hit from the right side, so as soon as a lefty came in from the bullpen, Moore replaced Moncada. Moore came off the bench in all three games, getting five plate appearances.

Moore is likely to start on Sunday, making two of three starts in this series, because the A’s are starting a left-hander.

Montgomery’s oft-repeated point over the past week has been that Moore is still playing enough to gain some experience, and also that he’s engaged enough on the bench to be learning from that too.

“If we’re talking about a two-week period, we’re talking about 30-40, at-bats,” Montgomery said. “In the grand scheme of things, if you’re only measuring it on actual playing time versus the long term, what he learns from watching, pinch hitting, coming in on defense, whatever it is, it’s nothing but gain for him. He’s going to play. I’m not worried about that.”

Moore, 22, who was drafted in the first round just 13 months ago, said he is “100 percent” confident that he’s still benefiting from being around even when he’s not playing.

“Watching guys and picking their brains and understanding certain situations, kind of slowing the game down,” Moore said. “Obviously, when you’re playing every day, it’s hard to slow the game down or see certain things.”

Moore is hitting .185 with a .648 OPS. (Rengifo has a .643 OPS, including an .800 OPS since June 13. Moncada has a .779 OPS.) Moore’s 13% walk rate is above average, a good sign that he’s remaining disciplined and seeing the ball well. His 30% strikeout rate is too high, though.

Moore was first promoted on June 13, and he showed improvement until he suffered a sprained left wrist on July 2. He’s been back since Aug. 3.

“Before the injury, I was real comfortable,” Moore said. “Now, just getting back out there and just getting back to my routine. Doing everything I was doing before the injury. Obviously, it’s a hard lease. You just try fight and scrap and grind through ABs. Do whatever you can do to flip the lineup over. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

NO WORRIES

Mike Trout was in a 2-for-13 slump with eight walks and seven strikeouts in the five games prior to Saturday.

When Montgomery was asked specifically about Trout taking too many pitches, he expressed no concern with his approach.

“Mike’s fine,” Montgomery said. “Mike knows what he needs to work on, and obviously he goes in and out of feeling good, just like anybody else. I’m not going to complain about a .400 on-base for him, walking at a high clip. Sure, there’s going to be times where he swings more and misses more and there’s going to be times when he swings less and hits balls out of the park. I think it’s just part of the game. When you accumulate as much as he’s accumulated, it takes time.”

Trout is sitting on 398 career homers.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP José Soriano, 8-9, 3.84) at Athletics (LHP Jeffrey Springs, 10-8, 4.06), Sunday, 1:05 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network West, 830 AM