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House State Government Committee to consider Josephs bill on divestment Wednesday

HARRISBURG, June 18 -- This week the House State Government Committee is expected to consider state Rep. Babette Josephs' bill that would divest state funds from certain private business entities doing business with the government of Sudan.

Josephs introduced the bill in April, with 109 co-sponsors, and has received widespread support for her proposal, most recently from the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, which represents Jewish federations and communities throughout the state.

"I think it's very telling that more than half of my colleagues signed onto this bill and that statewide organizations such as the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition support it, as well," said Josephs, who also is chairwoman of the State Government Committee.

"The Sudanese government has been sponsoring ethnic cleansing of non-Arab Darfurians since February 2003. To date, more than 400,000 Darfurian civilians have been killed, and millions more have been displaced and are reliant on humanitarian aid. Because of the magnitude of the crimes in Darfur and the failure of the international community to stem these horrors, we have a responsibility as leaders, as human beings to act.

"Divestment is an effective way the Commonwealth can influence Sudan's behavior," she said.

Josephs' legislation would feature an approach called the targeted divestment model, which calls for the withholding of Pennsylvania investment dollars from companies that are directly or indirectly helping the Sudanese government perpetuate genocide. Only if a company refuses to change its behavior in response to shareholder engagement would the divestment model call for divestment from that company.

Her legislation is the result of her work with the Sudan Divestment Task Force to develop a targeted divestment model for the Commonwealth. The Sudan Divestment Task Force is the same non-profit organization the city of Pittsburgh used. Other cities, including Philadelphia and Providence, R.I., 30 colleges and universities, as well as California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey and Oregon, all have taken steps to divest from companies doing business in the African nation.

The meeting to consider House Bill 1140 will be held during a House recess on Wednesday, June 20 in Room 60 East Wing.