Maryland Delegate Bilal Ali from Baltimore City (D-41) has introduced The Maryland End Genocide Bill (HB 1787) in this session. It is being dubbed a historic bill, which will ensure that Maryland spends and invests taxpayers’ money in a manner that upholds human rights and opposes genocide and crimes against humanity.
“With this bill, we will ensure that Maryland citizens’ tax dollars will be spent ethically and invested responsibly. It is an expression of Maryland citizens’ values that we use our taxpayer dollars to press companies to refuse to do business with governments engaged in genocide or crimes against humanity,” stated Del Bilal Ali.
Starting on January 1st, 2020, the bill will direct the state government to enter into contracts with only those corporations that have adopted a formal policy of refusing to do business with governments that engage in genocide or crimes against humanity.
“With this bill, we will ensure that Maryland citizens’ tax dollars will be spent ethically and invested responsibly,” stated Simon Billenness, Executive Director, International Campaign for the Rohingya, which helped craft the bill. “It is an expression of Maryland citizens’ values that we use our taxpayer dollars to press companies to refuse to do business with governments engaged in genocide or crimes against humanity.”
The bill in currently in the Rules Committee. CAIR’s Maryland office has issued an Action Alert asking concerned people to call the Chair of the Rules Committee, Anne Healy of Prince George’s County and request that she approves HB1787 - Prevention of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity so that the House Speaker may refer it to the appropriate standing committee for consideration.
“We collectively have a responsibility to ensure that our tax dollars are spent ethically and responsibly, and do not perpetuate abusive, unjust policies against any population,” said CAIR’s Maryland representative Zainab Chaudry. “If passed, this historic, consequential and meticulously-crafted legislation will help pressure governments to develop sound, humane practices that foster corporate investment and trade.”
According to the International Campaign for the Rohingya, the bill requires the State Treasurer to ensure that any shares held by the State "are voted in favor of shareholder resolutions that ask companies to adopt a policy of refusing to do business with governments that engage in genocide or crimes against humanity.” it also requires the State Treasurer to ensure that any shares held by the State are voted in favor of shareholder resolutions that ask companies to adopt a policy of refusing to do business with governments that engage in genocide or crimes against humanity.
“We didn’t do enough for Kosovo, CAR, Rwanda,” said Del Ali in an interview with the Muslim Link.”We need every imam to get behind this issue. He says many Marylanders are not aware of what is going on in Myanmar.
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