After hours of impassioned testimony that stretched over two days of hearings, the Senate State Affairs Committee has voted 5-4 against SB 1367, the bill to divest state retirement fund assets from companies doing business with Sudan because of the genocide in the Darfur region. Committee Chairman Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, cast the tie-breaking vote after the committee deadlocked, 4-4. “If we look at what damages our society here and our children, alcohol, drugs, the tobacco industry…” he said. “I see equal justification for a lot of those issues in divesting, but if we go down that road, I don’t know where we stop.”

Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, said, “Playing politics with retired Idahoans primary source of income in their senior and vulnerable years is an area of great concern.” But, he said. “I admit I don’t know where the line is drawn, but for me today, I’m going to draw it at genocide – and I’m going to support the bill.”

Sen. Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston, a co-sponsor of the measure, said it makes sense that the PERSI board felt it couldn’t make the change on its own. “I think it’s entirely appropriate that the PERSI board suggests they don’t have the responsibility or the authority to make these changes,” Stegner said. “That responsibility lies with this legislature – this is what we do. We set policy.”

Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, said, “If a person wants to opt out of PERSI, they’re free to do that.”

In the final vote, the senators voting in favor of the bill were Sens. Davis, Stegner, Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum, and Kate Kelly, D-Boise. Those voting against were Sens. McKenzie, Jorgenson, Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, Brad Little, R-Emmett, and Denton Darrington, R-Declo.

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