On Wednesday morning, the Executive Committee of the Illinois House is scheduled to consider SB 1761, a bill that would force state pension fund administrators to blacklist companies that boycott businesses that operate in “territories under the control of Israel” — i.e., in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This legislation not only infringes on the rights of those making an ethical decision to boycott human rights abuses, it also legitimizes the Israeli annexation of the West Bank, which official US policy opposes.
There is a lot of misinformation circulating about this bill in the State Capitol, which makes it even more important that your reps hear from you!
Here are two things you can do right now to stop this bill:
- Submit a witness slip in opposition to the bill. It’s easy and only takes a minute! When filling out the witness slip, indicate “opponent”, “record of appearance only”, and enter the organization you represent under “representation” or just enter “self”. Make sure to spell out your organization (don’t use abbreviations).
- Call Executive Committee Chair Dan Burke at (217) 782-1117 and say
I am an Illinois resident and I oppose SB 1761, which would force state pension fund administrators to blacklist companies that boycott businesses that operate in “territories under the control of Israel.” This bill infringes on the rights of those who choose to boycott human rights abuses and also legitimizes the Israeli annexation of the West Bank. I urge Rep. Burke to oppose this bill and stop it in committee.
- Call other members of the Executive Committee (particularly if they are your Rep) by looking up their contact info here: http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/members.asp?GA=97&committeeID=361
When you’re done, report your calls below.