ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday he’s aiming for “the most full assault on child poverty” to ever happen in Maryland during his first legislative session, touching on a wide variety of topics in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.
The governor, a Democrat, spoke about concerns in the banking industry after the second and third largest bank failures in U.S. history, his support for President Joe Biden, his thoughts on reparations for slavery, expanding the use of electric vehicles and police reform during the interview, among other topics.
Two months into his tenure, Moore, who is Maryland’s first Black chief executive and the third Black governor ever elected in the nation, noted the historical nature of his landslide November victory. He said his portrait will look “a little bit different” than the ones of white governors on the walls inside Maryland’s Capitol.
“I received more individual votes for governor than anyone else on these walls,” Moore, a Democrat, said. “But I also know that Marylanders didn’t vote for me because they wanted me to make history. They voted for me because they believed in our vision.”
His proposal to extend and expand tax credits for low-income residents is moving forward in the Democratic-controlled Legislature. His push for accelerating a minimum wage increase to $15 an hour also is advancing but so far without a provision he proposed to create automatic increases in future years to adjust for inflation.
Here’s what the governor had to say some key issues facing the nation and the state he is governing:
Banking
In the aftermath of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, Moore, who is a former investment banker, said Maryland has not had any significant impacts. He said a big reason for that partially was the swift movements of the federal government to be able to ensure that the depositors…
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