Senate State Affairs Committee to Hear SB 227 on April 1st

It's time again to reach out to our legislators to let them know that we Alaskans want them to adopt the targeted Sudan divestment legislation (SB 227/HB 287). Below is a listing of the Senate State Affairs Committee members and their contact information. Please call and email each to let them know that this legislation is not to be taken lightly. That it is too effective, too simple to implement, and too important to be disregarded.

Chair - Sen. Lesil McGuire 465-2995 Senator_Lesil_McGuire@legis.state.ak.us
Vice-Chair - Sen. Gary Stevens 465-4925 Senator_Gary_Stevens@legis.state.ak.us
Member - Sen. Hollis French 465-3892 Senator_Hollis_French@legis.state.ak.us
Member - Sen. Lyda Green 465-6600 Senator_Lyda_Green@legis.state.ak.us
Member - Sen. Con Bunde 465-4843 Senator_Con_Bunde@legis.state.ak.us

Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander. --Holocaust Museum, Washington, DC.

Juneau DIE-IN Raises Awareness

Despite heavy wet snowfalls throughout the day, about 100 people attended the DIE-IN FOR DARFUR. The 30-minute event included chants, sign waving, and multiple speeches calling for targeted divestment from Sudan. A group of protesters lay at the bottom of the capitol steps for the duration of the event as a symbol of the lives lost in Darfur while divestment legislation languishes in committee.

The DIE-IN got a lot of local radio and newspaper coverage in Juneau. The Juneau Empire even published an editorial in favor of the legislation a couple days after the DIE-IN. Excerpts were also televised throughout the state on KTUU. The Associated Press' story about the event was picked up by a South Carolina paper and by SudaneseOnline.com.

While in Juneau, Kelley Nixon, a member of Save Darfur Anchorage met with available legislators or their staff to find out how legislators stand on the divestment legislation. Of the legislators/staff interviewed, 7 legislators were not familiar with the legislation at all or they did not have a current position on the legislation. These included Senators Cowdery, Green, and Huggins, and Representatives Gardner, Holmes, Olson, and Salmon. Six were decidedly against the legislation: Senator Wilken and Representatives Coghill, Johansen, Johnson, Roses, and Stoltze. Fifteen were in favor of divestment: Senators Davis, Ellis, Elton, French, McGuire, and Wielechowski and Representatives Cissna, Doll, Gara, Gatto, Gruenberg, Guttenberg, Kerttula, Lynn, and Ramras.

Die-In for Darfur Scheduled for March 19th in Juneau

The Juneau-Douglas High School Chapter of STAND will lead a "die-in" in front of our state capitol building at 12:10PM on Wednesday March 19th. The die-in will be part of a rally calling for legislators to get divestment legislation (HB287/SB227) out of committee and on to the House and Senate floor for a vote before the session ends on April 13th. Supporters from all over the state are encouraged to attend. (Be sure to use your constituent fare with Alaska Airlines to save 40 percent on airfare.) See you there!

Arizona Becomes 24th State to Divest

Earlier this week, Arizona's Governor signed into law a bill to divest their state pension funds from Sudan. All 90 state lawmakers supported the legislation!! Click here to view the press release.

Arizona's legislation uses the same Sudan Divestment Task Force model for divestment that the Alaska legislation uses. All 90 of Arizona's state legislators understand that targeted divestment is an effective and easy-to-implement tool to fight genocide. It is appalling that so few of our state legislators understand this truth. It makes one wonder if it is their ignorance, apathy, laziness, fear, or arrogance that blinds them.
It also makes one wonder why we've elected them.

Links to Recent Articles about Darfur Published in Alaska Newspapers

Below are links to Darfur-related articles that have appeared in either the Juneau Empire or the Anchorage Daily News in 2008. A Internet search identified no related articles have been carried by the Daily News - Miner. If you are unsatisfied with the amount of coverage your local paper is giving the Darfur Genocide or our proposed divestment legislation, please let the editorial board of that paper know.

March 4th - Permanent Fund Investments Need to Change

March 4th - Alaska and Darfur

March 3rd - Alaska's Assets in Sudan Targeted

Feb. 7th - Lawmakers Aim to Cut Ties with Sudan's Government

Jan. 24th - Outside Editorial: Impunity in Sudan

Jan. 15th - Outside editorial: U.S. should give Sudan envoy more support to end genocide