Texas Legislators File 'Stop the Darfur Genocide Act'
Bipartisan Bill Directs State Pension Funds to Divest Holdings in Companies
Supporting Genocide and State-Sponsored Terrorism
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Senator Rodney Ellis
(D - Houston) and Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale (R - Houston) announced the
filing of Senate Bill 247 & House Bill 667. The bipartisan legislation
calls for the targeted divestment of state pension funds invested in
companies doing business with the government of Sudan. Texas Railroad
Commissioner Michael Williams, Sen. Florence Shapiro, Rep. Ruth Jones
McClendon and representatives of the University of Texas anti-genocide
student coalition, The White Rose Society, joined the legislators in
announcing the legislation.
In the past four years, the Sudanese government and their allied
organizations have systemically killed more than 400,000 people and
displaced more than 2.5 million in Sudan's Darfur region. For the first
time in history, the U.S. government declared these ongoing atrocities to
be genocide. The U.N. declared the crisis the "worst humanitarian disaster
in the world today."
The Sudan Divestment Task Force, a project of the Genocide Intervention
Network, developed the model legislation. Adam Sterling is the Project
Director of the Task Force.
"We are grateful for the bipartisan support and leadership of Senator
Ellis, Rep. Van Arsdale and Commissioner Williams on this vital initiative.
Texas has a unique opportunity to lead the nation and the world by
divesting its state pension funds from companies that support and condone
state- sponsored terrorism," Sterling said.
'Stop the Darfur Genocide Act' utilizes a targeted divestment model
focusing on the companies in Sudan that have a business relationship with
the Sudanese government, impart minimal benefit to the underprivileged and
have expressed no corporate responsibility policy regarding the current
situation in Sudan. The targeted divestment approach will help to maximize
the desired effect on the Sudanese government while minimizing harm to
Sudanese civilians and investment returns.
The legislation ensures that only the most egregiously offending
companies will be affected and excludes any company that substantially
benefits those outside of government circles such as those involved in
medicine, education, general consumer goods, and agriculture. The
legislation has already passed in 6 states and is similar to efforts
currently underway in over 20 other states.
Sterling also added, "While the exact figure won't be known until Texas
fully scans its portfolios, most pension fund systems have somewhere
between tens and hundreds of millions of dollars invested in problematic
companies tied to Sudan -- a figure that is relatively small compared to
Texas' pension funds size, but is rather large in the context of Sudan."
"It is clear the Sudanese government is largely unresponsive to recent
political pressure," said Senator Ellis. "It's time to turn up the economic
pressure, and the pocketbook is a good pressure point. Texans have said
with a loud and clear voice that it is time for the State of Texas to take
a strong stand against this genocide."
Rep. Van Arsdale added, "Texas can't stand idle while thousands of
innocent people are being systematically slaughtered. The White House and
Congress have declared Darfur a genocide. That's an important threshold.
And we shouldn't be funding Texans' retirements by investing in companies
who fuel a genocidal engine."
"Ending the ongoing genocide is a bipartisan issue we can all agree
on," said Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, a long-time Darfur
advocate. "The effort in Texas reflects a coalition of support from
progressive liberal organizations as well as faith-based, ecumenical groups
united for a common good. I'm calling upon all Texans to join the effort to
end this atrocity and embarrassment to humanity," he added.
Leran Minc, a board member of The White Rose Society, a UT
anti-genocide student coalition, joined the press conference and voiced the
support of many campus-based initiatives working to help Darfur. The
contingent of students concerned about this issue is sizable and
organized," Minc said. "We will play an active role in advancing this
legislation and raising awareness of this issue."
For more information, go to
Bipartisan Bill Directs State Pension Funds to Divest Holdings in Companies
Supporting Genocide and State-Sponsored Terrorism
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Senator Rodney Ellis
(D - Houston) and Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale (R - Houston) announced the
filing of Senate Bill 247 & House Bill 667. The bipartisan legislation
calls for the targeted divestment of state pension funds invested in
companies doing business with the government of Sudan. Texas Railroad
Commissioner Michael Williams, Sen. Florence Shapiro, Rep. Ruth Jones
McClendon and representatives of the University of Texas anti-genocide
student coalition, The White Rose Society, joined the legislators in
announcing the legislation.
In the past four years, the Sudanese government and their allied
organizations have systemically killed more than 400,000 people and
displaced more than 2.5 million in Sudan's Darfur region. For the first
time in history, the U.S. government declared these ongoing atrocities to
be genocide. The U.N. declared the crisis the "worst humanitarian disaster
in the world today."
The Sudan Divestment Task Force, a project of the Genocide Intervention
Network, developed the model legislation. Adam Sterling is the Project
Director of the Task Force.
"We are grateful for the bipartisan support and leadership of Senator
Ellis, Rep. Van Arsdale and Commissioner Williams on this vital initiative.
Texas has a unique opportunity to lead the nation and the world by
divesting its state pension funds from companies that support and condone
state- sponsored terrorism," Sterling said.
'Stop the Darfur Genocide Act' utilizes a targeted divestment model
focusing on the companies in Sudan that have a business relationship with
the Sudanese government, impart minimal benefit to the underprivileged and
have expressed no corporate responsibility policy regarding the current
situation in Sudan. The targeted divestment approach will help to maximize
the desired effect on the Sudanese government while minimizing harm to
Sudanese civilians and investment returns.
The legislation ensures that only the most egregiously offending
companies will be affected and excludes any company that substantially
benefits those outside of government circles such as those involved in
medicine, education, general consumer goods, and agriculture. The
legislation has already passed in 6 states and is similar to efforts
currently underway in over 20 other states.
Sterling also added, "While the exact figure won't be known until Texas
fully scans its portfolios, most pension fund systems have somewhere
between tens and hundreds of millions of dollars invested in problematic
companies tied to Sudan -- a figure that is relatively small compared to
Texas' pension funds size, but is rather large in the context of Sudan."
"It is clear the Sudanese government is largely unresponsive to recent
political pressure," said Senator Ellis. "It's time to turn up the economic
pressure, and the pocketbook is a good pressure point. Texans have said
with a loud and clear voice that it is time for the State of Texas to take
a strong stand against this genocide."
Rep. Van Arsdale added, "Texas can't stand idle while thousands of
innocent people are being systematically slaughtered. The White House and
Congress have declared Darfur a genocide. That's an important threshold.
And we shouldn't be funding Texans' retirements by investing in companies
who fuel a genocidal engine."
"Ending the ongoing genocide is a bipartisan issue we can all agree
on," said Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, a long-time Darfur
advocate. "The effort in Texas reflects a coalition of support from
progressive liberal organizations as well as faith-based, ecumenical groups
united for a common good. I'm calling upon all Texans to join the effort to
end this atrocity and embarrassment to humanity," he added.
Leran Minc, a board member of The White Rose Society, a UT
anti-genocide student coalition, joined the press conference and voiced the
support of many campus-based initiatives working to help Darfur. The
contingent of students concerned about this issue is sizable and
organized," Minc said. "We will play an active role in advancing this
legislation and raising awareness of this issue."
For more information, go to
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