yournewswire | California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a new law that
prevents companies from engaging in actions that could be deemed
critical of Israel.
The new law prevents companies that boycott or discriminate against
any country, including Israel, from doing business with California.
Richardedmondson.net reports:
Brown signed Assembly Bill 2844 on Saturday afternoon. The State
Senate approved the bill by a vote of 34 to 1 on August 24, and the
State Assembly passed it by 69 to 1 on August 30.
An earlier version of the legislation banned the state from making
contracts worth over $100,000 with companies boycotting Israel.
In order to satisfy critics, who said it violated the constitutional
right to boycott, the bill was modified to include reference to other
countries as well.
The approved version does not prohibit companies working with the
state from boycotting Israel. Rather, companies have to certify that
they do not violate California civil rights laws in boycotting a foreign
country – including Israel, the only country mentioned by name –
according to The Jewish Journal.
“We commend Governor Brown for signing this bill,” said Janna
Weinstein Smith, American Jewish Committee’s Los Angeles Regional
Director, in a statement.
