FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Governor Signs Bill to Divest from Sudan

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Today Gov. Janet Napolitano signed into law a bill to divest Arizona pension funds from Sudan.

House Bill 2705, sponsored by Rep. Kyrsten Sinema of Phoenix, is the first bill the governor has signed into law in the 2008 legislative session.

The law will divest pension funds from those targeted corporations that materially assist the Sudanese government in carrying out the genocide in Darfur. The bill targets foreign companies involved in mineral extraction, weapon sales, and the oil industry.

It is the first state law that prohibits contracting with those corporations materially assisting the government of Sudan in its campaign of genocide on the people of Darfur. About 400,000 people have been killed in the genocide, according to some estimates. Another 2 million people have been displaced from their villages and are living in refugee camps in Chad.

"I am so proud that Arizona joins 23 other states and the federal government in doing the right thing," Rep. Sinema said. "This is a meaningful step forward to help Darfuri people who live under the daily threat of torture, rape, and death."

In a rare move, all 90 state lawmakers supported the divestment legislation. The legislation was the result of months of collaborative work between Rep. Sinema, the state pension funds, and the Sudan Divestment Task Force.

“As the first state to adopt a targeted Sudan divestment policy in 2008 and the first state ever to prohibit contracts with companies helping to fund genocide in Sudan, Arizona will set an example for the rest of the nation and send a strong message to the Sudanese government’s war machine and the foreign companies that fund it," said Sudan Divestment Task Force Director Adam Sterling.

"The sponsorship of all 90 legislators, orchestrated by Representative Kyrsten Sinema, truly represents that this is a financially sound and bi-partisan decision and we commend Governor Napolitano for recognizing these efforts,” Director Sterling added.

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Additional Media Contact: Rachael Myer, 602-926-5848, rmyer@azleg.gov

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