Notes From My Purple State: Kansas Says No to DivestmentJesse Zerger Nathanbyline‚ Feb. 15‚ 2007Sudan and Kansas might not have much in common at first glance, but only an ignoramus would deny the connections between this purple state and that bloody one in today’s globally interconnected economy. Officially, the State of Kansas makes mutual fund investments through the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS). KPERS, in turn, manages and administers retirement plans for state and local employees. Glenn Deck, executive director of KPERS, says that while Kansas does not have any direct holdings in Sudan or any Sudanese businesses, “it does hold securities of companies that have business connections to Sudan,” to the tune of about $43.5 million, according to the Lawrence Journal-World.. This is why activists have asked Kansas lawmakers to divest the state’s assets from Sudan, thereby joining a blossoming movement to use economic tools against a genocidal regime. But so far, the GOP-controlled Kansas Senate and House of Representatives have offered a polite, but firm, “No.” |