By Catherine Pugh
Special to the AFRO
On Dec. 16, during a one-day special session, Gov. Wes Moore gathered lawmakers to select a new House Speaker. As rumors swirled about redistricting, legislators concentrated on choosing the Speaker. Then, they overturned 19 out of 29 gubernatorial vetoes handed down earlier this year.
Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-MD-District 21) ascended with ease to the leadership of the House with unanimous support from Democrats and Republicans. She promised to lead with compassion and to listen to both sides of the aisle.
Among the 19 overturned vetoes was the Reparations Bill supported by the State’s Black Caucus and legislation that would study the impact of data centers on Maryland.
State Sen. Charles Sydnor III, (D-44) took to the floor on both bills to explain his vote. He called Moore’s veto of the reparations bill “a set-back,” but added that “it does not have to be the final word.”
“The General Assembly now has the responsibility and the opportunity to override the veto and affirm Maryland’s commitment to addressing historic and ongoing racial inequities,” said Sydnor, who criticized both the Governor’s written response for vetoing the legislation and his vocal response on a podcast.
“Respectfully,” said Sydnor, “while the Governor has said this is something he doesn’t ‘need to study,’ I believe it is something the state must do.”
As just one of the reasons for a commission, Sydnor pointed to the fact that members of the body who worked on the legislation could not find consensus on various topics regarding reparations.
“This is not an easy topic,” he said, “without a formal study, reparations risk being dismissed as symbolic or unconstitutional regardless of moral merit.”
Lead Senate sponsor Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s County-District 26), sat quietly during the 15-minute floor debate.
Similar bills have been introduced in the Maryland General Assembly every year beginning in 2020.
“It’s been a long time coming. I’m so grateful that this body saw fit to do this,” he said after the vote.
The Maryland Senate voted 31-14 and the House, led for the first time by Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk, voted 93-35 to override the Governor’s veto after an hour of debate.
Data centers cause concern
Sydnor also addressed the Senate in an effort to overturn Moore’s veto of SB 116, which would initiate a Data Center Impact Study. The State Senator expressed concerns that communities were not adequately informed about the implications of data centers. He reported that he had spent the summer collecting information on their effects, highlighting several issues:
- Significant water usage required for cooling these facilities
- Substantial energy demand that could stress the power grid and potentially increase energy costs for constituents
- Carbon emissions that may impede the state’s emissions reduction goals
- Air and noise pollution, which could negatively impact public health and reduce property values
“This is a vote for accountability. It is a vote for informed decision making. And it is a vote to stand with our constituents who are asking us to do our due diligence before irreversible decisions are made,” said Sydnor.
The Senate (31-13) and House (111-24) overrode Moore’s veto, making the bill on studying Data Centers’ impact in Maryland law.
Veto on RENEW Act overturned
Keeping in line with their concern for the environment, Maryland legislators also overturned Moore’s veto of the Responding to Emergency Needs from Extreme Weather (RENEW) Act.
According to the bill synopsis released by the General Assembly, the RENEW Act requires “the Comptroller, in coordination with the Department of the Environment and the Department of Commerce, to conduct a study to assess the total cost of greenhouse gas emissions in the State and report certain findings to certain committees by December 1, 2026…”
Environmental justice advocates say the RENEW Act was a major step in holding accountable some of the state’s largest polluters for the impact of climate change on Maryland families.
See more about all of the vetoes overridden at the links below:
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/FloorActions/Media/house-1-A?year=2025S1
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/FloorActions/Media/house-1-?year=2025S1