SB587 establishes the Maryland Reparations Commission to study and recommend benefits for descendants of individuals enslaved in Maryland or impacted by inequitable government policies from 1877 to 1965, such as housing segregation and redlining. The commission, composed of legislative members, state officials, and representatives from various organizations, will examine reparations models, eligibility criteria, and funding sources.
The Maryland State House of Delegates passed SB587 on April 2, 2025 by a vote of 101 to 36. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this legislation expands government authority beyond its proper constitutional bounds, creating a commission to study and recommend reparations for "historical inequities." Such measures promote race-based policies that favor certain groups, undermining individual liberty and equal protection under the law.
United States Constitution
Fifth Amendment
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
United States Constitution
Ninth Amendment
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
United States Constitution
14th Amendment Section 1
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
