Gov. Wes Moore announces actions to address the wealth gap in Maryland

[get these nets]

06/20/25

Governor Moore Announces Additional Action to Close Maryland’s Racial Wealth Gap by Promoting Just Community Investment and Expanding Cannabis Pardons - Press Releases - News - Office of Governor Wes Moore

governor.maryland.gov

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced additional action to close the racial wealth gap and expand access to work, wages, and wealth for Black Marylanders. Before a congregation of 200 at Bethel AME Church in Cambridge, the governor made official new Just Community designations to prioritize up to $400 million in competitive state investments in communities that have been historically impacted by exclusionary policies

Governor Moore signed Just Community legislation in 2024 to target state investment in communities that have experienced decades of discriminatory policies like redlining, urban renewal projects, high incarceration rates and disproportionate exposure to environmental and health hazards. The legislation promotes equal opportunity by working to more systemically uplift historically underserved communities.

Using racial equity and social justice framework, program evaluation, and community engagement, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development developed recommendations over the past year to designate 419 of Maryland’s 1,463 census tracts as Just Communities, representing 17 counties and the City of Baltimore.

The five-year designation will create priority consideration for competitive state funding in FY 2026.

Governor Moore made the recommended designations official today, to take effect July 1.


The governor also announced pardons for 6,938 additional convictions for simple cannabis possession, an expansion of the historic executive clemency order that pardoned more than 175,000 convictions—the largest pardon for misdemeanor cannabis possession charges for any state in the country. The additional pardons are the result of continued partnership with the Maryland Judiciary to review cases since the first order was signed last June.

As required by the governor’s Expungement Reform Act, all pardoned cannabis possession offenses will be removed from public view by January 31, 2026. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services will also indicate pardoned convictions on criminal background checks.

 

[SupaVillain]

my state

 

[™BlackPearl The Empress™]

Good. I hope it's concentrated in Baltimore because it's literally one of the worst cities I have ever seen.

 

[Voice of Reason]

This is a nothing burger "investments in under served areas" will do nothing to address the FBA wealth gap.


A lot of this funding will go to illegal immigrants.


He made a miscalculation by cancelling the reparations Taskforce.

 

[TMBlue]

Good. I hope it's concentrated in Baltimore because it's literally one of the worst cities I have ever seen.

Baltimore is the most underrated city in the country.

 

[ORDER_66]

Y'all falling for the trick bag....again...

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

This is a nothing burger "investments in under served areas" will do nothing to address the FBA wealth gap.


A lot of this funding will go to illegal immigrants.


He made a miscalculation by cancelling the reparations Taskforce.

 

[Chrishaune]

Most of this is not based on being black. It's generic talk to include "minorities" ...

They say black a few times and people fall for it. Anybody that's not a white male can be a minority, and even then the language in what they are talking about can be used for white males also. Anybody can make a claim for discrimination.
This really isn't anything but trying to save a political career.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Most of this is not based on being black. It's generic talk to include "minorities" ...

They say black a few times and people fall for it. Anybody that's not a white male can be a minority, and even then the language in what they are talking about can be used for white males also. Anybody can make a claim for discrimination.
This really isn't anything but trying to save a political career.

If black people can’t weaponize a program indirectly targeted to them by getting 40-60% of the benefits instead of 0% of NOTHING as an alternative, then maybe the black community doesn’t deserve even oblique attempts to direct resources in our direction.

It’s called “opportunity” not “deliverable entitlement”.

 

[King Poetic]

Reparations would have help some closing the gap but he cut that

 

[Savvir]

#bothsides

 

[Voice of Reason]

Most of this is not based on being black. It's generic talk to include "minorities" ...

They say black a few times and people fall for it. Anybody that's not a white male can be a minority, and even then the language in what they are talking about can be used for white males also. Anybody can make a claim for discrimination.
This really isn't anything but trying to save a political career.

Yep, and when you parse through his words carefully all he is proposing is housing appraisal laws that will certainly help but it's not direct dollars.

 

[Anerdyblackguy]

I hope he uses the money to expand the HBCU’s that are in Baltimore. Considering Healthcare and Education are the most stable pathways for work it would benefit the city of Baltimore and its Black population if those Jobs and educational opportunities were available.

This was a similar formula that Big Gretchen used with Wayne State University and the Tech industry to revitalize Detroit .