The Senate advanced legislation today -- which has largely moved through the General Assembly outside the spotlight -- that would require insurers authorized to do business in Maryland to provide the state with a report about each "slaveholder insurance policy" it issued during the antebellum period.

This follows last year's vote to apologize for slavery, and in an interesting twist, was almost delayed on the Senate floor as lawmakers attempted to have the bill amended so they could be added as sponsors.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, ever the advocate of the speedy passage of laws, hinted that they didn't need to be a co-sponsor. Their support was enough.

"As a historian, I'm very supportive of the bill, but I'm not going to sponsor it," he said.