Posted on 02/28/2023 7:52:26 AM PST by Twotone
The Idaho Legislature’s House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday introduced three new Republican–sponsored bills designed to combat the use of environmental, social and corporate governance — or ESG — standards.
ESG standards and ratings are used in business investments and credit ratings, and can indicate social consciousness, a commitment to environmental stewardship or a commitment to sustainability.
In the past year since conservative pundit Glenn Beck discussed ESG during a February 2022 visit to the Idaho State Capitol, Republicans have seized on the standards as an example of a liberal, woke agenda run amok. But Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry President Alex LaBeau previously told the Idaho Capital Sun the standards have become the latest political boogeyman used to sow chaos and division, even though the issue is not new.
“It’s become more of a bumper sticker battle than actually talking about the issue itself,” LaBeau said in June.
Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, presented two of the three new bills Wednesday.
Ehardt’s first bill prohibits public entities, such as state and local governments from entering into contracts with companies that decline to do business with or penalize individuals or other companies for the production of fossil fuels or the manufacture, distribution or sale of firearms. Ehardt’s second bill is designed to prevent banks and credit unions designated as state depositories from boycotting individuals or companies for the production of fossil fuels or the manufacture, distribution or sale of firearms.
The third new ESG bill was sponsored by Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian, Ehardt and a group of 31 House Republican co-sponsors — nearly ensuring the bill has enough support to win the 36 votes in the House necessary to guarantee the bill’s passage.
The third bill specifies the state may not award or deny state contracts...
(Excerpt) Read more at idahocapitalsun.com ...
NONE of these a__holes really wants to know what most of us are thinking-—NONE
Still, it doesn’t hurt to apply some pressure.
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