PERA Bill Passes out of Business Affairs and Labor Committee

Hb 1284 addresses whether Colorado should divest from companies supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS) against Israel.  HB 16-1284 would force PERA (the state pension fund) to divest from companies engaging in BDS.  The bill was sponsored by Representatives Dominick Moreno (D) and Dan Nordberg (R) and Senators Leroy Garcia (D) and Owen Hill (R).

Representatives in support of the bill say that Israel is a US ally and therefore government should not side with Palestinians.  They add that the BDS movement is divisive and engages in violence.

The critics of the bill say that their experience with the BDS movement has always been nonviolent and that the suffering of the Palestinians is the result of ongoing repression against them by the state of Israel.

Three locals who work for Palestinian peace spoke to KGNU after the unanimous vote in the Business Affairs and Labor Committee to move the bill forward.  We hear from Richard Forer, Jan Miller, and Neil Foeman.

photos:  Sabeel Colorado

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