One major priority that was laid out by House Republicans this session was to pass a bill to protect Iowans’ money from activist Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies.
House File 507, passed through the Iowa House this week, requires that public funds act only in the best financial interest of the fund and its beneficiaries and not make decisions based on a political agenda. It also prohibits public entities from entering contracts with companies that participate in economic boycotts.
This is an issue we’ve seen increase over the past couple of years. There are three industries that we know are being boycotted against in the US – fossil fuels, gun manufacturers, and the agriculture industry. All are important to the state of Iowa and deserve protection from unfair, politically-charged investment policies.