Senator Brian A. Joyce has filed legislation that would direct the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to divest funding from any terrorist-sponsoring countries as defined by the U.S. State Department.

The legislation would prohibit the state treasurer from knowingly investing state funds—including pension and annuity funds—in any corporation that does business with a government designated by the U.S. State Department as a sponsor of terrorism.  This list currently includes Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria.

“While I fully supported the recently passed legislation to divest from the Sudan, I believe my legislation provides the Commonwealth with a more consistent divestment policy by providing specific guidelines in which to consider divestment from future countries,” said Senator Joyce, explaining that acts of terrorism have risen globally to 14,338 cases in 2006. “The countries on the State Department’s list that sponsor terrorism routinely provide safe havens, as well as substantial resources and guidance, to terrorist organizations, and it is simply not appropriate in this day and age to use public money to fund foreign terrorism.” added Senator Joyce.

Massachusetts has been on the forefront of human and civil rights movements throughout history. The Commonwealth can boast the oldest working constitution in the country, a constitution authored by John Adams and one with a long, proud tradition of championing civil rights. Massachusetts is, after all, a state of firsts: the first state to outlaw slavery within its borders, the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, and the first state to completely divest from South Africa in the 1980s, effectively leading other states across the country to follow suit.

Co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Montigny and Tarr, and Representatives Jones, Sullivan, Turner, Doug Petersen, Brownsberger, Atsalis, and Lantigua.