Anti boycott, divestment and sanction resolution.

WORKING DRAFT
2017
State of Wyoming
17LSO-0266
Introduced
1.2

House

JOINT RESOLUTION
NO.

HJ0004

Anti boycott, divestment and sanction resolution.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Byrd

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION recognizing boycott, divestment and sanction methods against Israel and other World Trade Organization trading partners as unsanctioned practices that discriminate based on national origin and discouraging the State of Wyoming from entering into a contract with or investing in a company participating in boycott, divestment and sanction methods.

WHEREAS,
boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) methods
mislead and
manipulate customary legal and political procedures to
encourage
companies, institutions and governments to change their policies
and thereby
erode support for Israel
and other World Trade Organization trading partners;
and

WHEREAS,
boycotts

of entities and individuals of specific countries often amount to
discrimination
based on
ethnic
ity, religion
, rac
e
and nationality, which directly contradicts the public policy of the state
of Wyoming
; and

WHEREAS, i
gnoring discriminatory practices and boycotts by companies doing business with the
S
tate
of Wyoming
would consequently make the state a de facto partner in these discriminatory practices and boycotts
;
and

WHEREAS,
e
fforts to inflict economic harm upon the
S
tate
of Wyoming
trading partners materially weakens the
S
tate
of Wyoming
ability to conduct trade and harms vital economic interests of the state
; and

WHEREAS, t
he important economic benefits
the State of

Wyoming
receive
s
from
its
international trade with
Israel and other World Trade Organization trading partners
are materially harmed by the promotion of efforts to boycott and otherwise discriminate
solely on the basis of discriminatory criteria

against entities and individuals in countries with whom states conduct business
;

and

WHEREAS,
t
he use of falsehoods and distortions to slander Israel
'
s
and other World Trade Organization trading partners
'
citizens and government
s
ultimately delegitimizes the freedoms and rights that they truly stand for and defend
;

and

WHEREAS,
t
he BDS
m
ovement seeks to avoid the fact that Israel
and other World Trade Organization trading partners are

s
tate
s
fully recognized under international law
.
In misrepresenting concepts of
h
uman
r
ights and
i
nternational
l
aw the BDS
m
ovement actively harms
its

own
integrity and legitimacy
;

and

WHEREAS,
in addition to harms against Israel and other Wor
ld
Trade Organization trading partners,
t
housands of Palestinian-Arabs ha
ve lost jobs and economic oppor
tunity as a result of BDS
methods
because of the pressure the
m
ovement place
s
upon their employers and business partners
;

and

WHEREAS,
the
BDS
movement
damages the important goal of promoting societal peace between Palestinian-Arabs and
Israelis by working against normalization, economic cooperation and shared opportunity
; and

WHEREAS,
the BDS
m
ovement actively encourages intransigence and the rejection of peace negotiations by the Palestinian-Arab government, in favor of the held out hope that Israel
and other international trading partners
can be harmed to such an extent that gains would be made without the offering of peace.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.

That
the State of

Wyoming
emphatically reject
s
boycotts
, divestment and sanctions
based on national origin and interferences with foreign trade policy
.

Section 2.
That
State of

Wyoming
discourage
s
politically motivated
, national origin-based discrimination
actions to boycott, divest from
or sanction Israel and other World

Trade Organization trading partners.

Section 3.
That
agencies
of the State of Wyoming

make
note of
a company
'
s participation in or compliance with unsanctioned boycotts, divestment from or sanctions against Israel
or
other World Trade Organization trading partners
for
consideration when
authorized to award
grants and contracts and
to
invest.

Section
4
.
That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to
the

G
overnor,

S
tate
T
reasurer
,

D
epartment of
A
dministration and
I
nformation
and
the head of each state agency and department
.

(END)
1

HJ0004