Photo Courtesy of Governor Wes Moore’s Photo Gallery
Governor Wes Moore signed a new executive order last Thursday that lays the foundation for more equitable policy-making across state government. The VOICE Executive Order, which stands for Valuing Opportunity, Inclusion and Community Equity, requires state agencies to incorporate a comprehensive environmental justice map into their decision-making processes. This map, originally launched in 2022 and briefly taken offline due to disrupted federal data access, is now fully independent and state supported.
This action is Maryland’s first executive order centered on environmental justice and establishes a new interagency advisory council to lead the charge. The council will coordinate across 13 state agencies, each of which must designate environmental justice officers and submit strategic plans within the next year. “Environmental justice won’t just be the work of a single department. Environmental justice is not a lane. It is a lens,” Governor Wes Moore expressed. The council will also develop training programs and identify ways to better support affected communities through streamlined grant access and improved policy engagement.
The VOICE Act also directs agencies to foster deeper community engagement, particularly in areas most affected by pollution and inequity. Serena McIlwain, Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, called the executive order a clear declaration of Maryland’s “unwavering commitment to environmental justice, irrespective of what the noise is around us.”
Finally, the order includes new initiatives to support historically marginalized farmers by removing longstanding barriers to land access and financing. Though the CHERISH Our Communities Act, a legislative proposal to strengthen environmental permit oversight in overburdened areas, did not pass this session, Delegate Jazz Lewis, the bill’s sponsor, made clear that the executive action is a critical part of the path forward. Lewis, who was present at the VOICE Executive Order signing, stated that “This executive order is not just welcome. It is necessary… It will take legislation, executive action and the voices of everyday Marylanders standing up and demanding better.”
EO 01.01.2025.17 Valuing Opportunity, Inclusion, and Community Equity (VOICE)_Accessible.pdf
Moore signs environmental justice order, amid federal government’s anti-DEI push – Maryland Matters
