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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 5, 2024 09:23 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Steven J. Santarsiero and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Stand with Israel Act |
| No doubt by now we have all heard about protests that occurred on college campuses across the United States earlier this spring. The aim of many of these protests, which in many cases were organized and led by outsiders with no connection to the schools in question, was not merely the protection of innocent civilians in Gaza, but the outright destruction of the State of Israel. Toward that end, in some cases protesters were successful in getting universities to consider divesting from Israel and companies that do business with the Israeli government. In light of these events, we will be introducing legislation that will uphold Pennsylvania’s steadfast support for Israel, America’s most dependable ally in the Middle East. It is important that Pennsylvania continue to promote trade and commercial activities with Israel given Israel’s strategic importance to the United States as a long-standing ally and the only true democracy in a volatile region of the world. To help achieve that goal, our bill will prohibit holdings in the Pennsylvania State Treasury or Commonwealth pension funds from boycotting or divesting from Israel and companies doing business with Israel. Importantly, the legislation will have no impact on investment decisions made solely in advancing the financial position of the funds. Additionally, to discourage our institutions of higher learning from boycotting or divesting from Israel, the bill will withhold state funding from any school that takes such dramatic and wholly-unwarranted action. We hope that you will join us in supporting this important and timely legislation. |
Introduced as SB1260