Greed.
That’s what’s driving Michigan Representatives Kathy Schmaltz and Mark Tisdel to side with billionaires and ban responsible investing.
Keeping business owners from making the best decisions with their own money.
And allowing greedy billionaires to keep cheating Michiganders.
Schmaltz and Tisdel’s ban could reward businesses that poison our air and our water, and punish businesses that care about protecting Michiganders.
So, call your representative. Tell them to work for you, not billionaires.
Michigan Republicans Are Siding With Extremists And Out Of State Oil Interests To Ban Responsible Investing And Oppose Clean Energy Developments That Benefit Michiganders.
In 2023, Reps. Mark Tisdel, Kathy Schmaltz and 31 other Michigan Republicans sponsored HB 4344, which would ban state contracts for businesses that engage in economic “boycotts” of industries like oil and gas and weapons manufacturing.
The sponsors of HB 4344 have raised over $230,000 from the oil and gas industry.
HB 4344 resembles model legislation from several right-wing organizations, including ALEC and The Heritage Foundation. According to Pleiades Strategy’s 2023 Statehouse Report, “23 bills focused on leveraging government contracts to discourage widely-varying and often vague definitions of ‘ESG’ in the private sector. These bills aim to block states and local governments from contracting with financial institutions that limit engagement with certain industries by categorizing this refusal as a ‘boycott’ or ‘discrimination,’ often through the use of blacklists. Some of these bills contain escape clauses permitting such contracts if they are the most cost-effective, indicating that their proponents hope for amessaging win while being fully aware of the economic damage their bills will cause. Model bills to limit contract bans include the model ‘Energy Discrimination Elimination Act’ from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the Heritage Foundation’s ‘Eliminate Economic Boycotts Act,’ and the Foundation for Government Accountability’s ‘Protecting Free Enterprise and Investments Act.’”
