Texas Makes a Commitment to End Genocide

This is a truly wonderful moment, that I can take pride in my home state of Texas for acting to end genocide in Darfur. One more vote, and the bill to prohibit investment in businesses that operate inside Sudan will go to the governor for his signature. The route of economic pressure is a sound one, and the fact that representatives of Texas voters are taking this measure is one we can all be proud of.

Texas is not alone. California and Massachusetts, among others, have enacted divestment laws as well.

Legislation to fight genocide by forcing the state's largest pension funds to divest holdings in companies doing business with Sudan won tentative House approval Tuesday.

An unusual alliance of religious conservatives and liberal activists pushed the Senate-passed measure, which faces one final vote before going to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature.

"What this means is that Texans have said loud and clear that they don't want their pension funds used to facilitate genocide in any way," said Matt Welch of the Sudan Divestment Task Force.

The effort is part of a national campaign in which about two-dozen states have either passed or are considering similar measures.

Under the bill, the state's teacher and public employee pension funds would be required to sell stock in multinational companies that are supporting Sudan, which the U.S. says is engaged in a state-sponsored campaign of genocide in its Darfur region.

An estimated 400,000 black African Muslims have been killed by government-backed Arab Muslim militias.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, said divestment can be an effective political tool against governments whose actions are deemed unacceptable.

"We have turned up the economic pressure and given other states a model to follow on how to act locally to impact a global issue," Mr. Ellis said.

According to the Sudan Divestment Task Force, the state Teacher Retirement System holds $366 million in offending companies and the Employee Retirement System has $60 million. The holdings represent less than 1 percent of total assets.

Most holdings are in the oil and mineral industries.

None are American companies because of existing U.S. sanctions on Sudan.

The bipartisan effort in Texas reflects the national campaign, which has united both liberal peace activists in blue states and red-state Christian evangelicals on humanitarian grounds.

When representation of their constituents shows a respect of this kind, that elevates us voters to a status of ethical people, it's time to say thank you for that esteem. I am sending a thankyou to my state representatives and taking pride in them. They're acting almost as good as liberals for once!