FL Pension Funds Join the Divestment Bandwagon
The Protecting Florida’s Investments Act orders state pension fund managers, who have $150 billion in assets to handle, to review holdings. Then those companies they find doing business with Sudan or Iran’s petroleum sector would be asked by the state to stop, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel news report.
If the state request isn’t honored, the pension funds
would divest those investments.
“Although Florida is just one state, I think that we’re
going to be setting an example for other states to follow
suit. And yes, it’s $1 billion in our $150 billion pension
fund, but when that is coupled with all of these states
that may be looking at similar legislation, it could have a
real effect in stopping these terror regimes,” said state
Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs.
The proposal to ban Sudan-linked investments was ushered
through the Florida Legislature by Broward and Palm Beach
county legislators, according to the news report.The Iran
provision was pushed by the national organization American
Israel Public Affairs Committee, and the South Florida
sponsors said they were concerned about Iran’s threat to
Israel.