PEORIA TOWNSHIP (25News Now) – Voters in Peoria, Medina and Kickapoo townships will see an advisory question on their Nov. 3 ballots asking whether lawmakers should support legislation that would remove restrictions on Illinois public pension investments in companies that boycott Israel.
The ballot question asks:
“Shall Illinois Congressional members who represent Peoria Township vote to support the Illinois Human Rights Advocacy Protection Act (HB2723/SB2462), which would repeal amendments to the Illinois pension code that penalize American businesses that choose to boycott Israel?”
A “yes” vote would indicate support for lawmakers backing legislation to remove the investment restrictions, while a “no” vote would indicate opposition to that proposal.
Under a 2015 Illinois law, certain public pension funds face restrictions on investing in companies that participate in boycotts of Israel. Illinois became the first state to enact legislation targeting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, commonly known as BDS.
The law allows the Illinois Investment Policy Board to identify companies that boycott Israel and place them on a restricted investment list. Affected public retirement systems generally cannot make new direct investments in those companies and may have to sell existing holdings, subject to exceptions.
The state’s current list includes companies such as Adidas and Airbnb.
Local community organizers, working with the Illinois Coalition for Human Rights, support House Bill 2723 and Senate Bill 2462, which would remove the provisions requiring the state to restrict pension investments in companies that boycott Israel.
“At the core of all of this is protecting Illinois pension funds, that is deeply intertwined with this effort. and we want to allow our local family and friends the freedom to invest and also benefit from those investments as they see fit,” said community organizer Darcie Cady .
The Illinois Coalition for Human Rights also argues that the restrictions interfere with political expression and place foreign policy considerations ahead of the financial interests of Illinois taxpayers and pension holders.
“There has always been an effort locally and statewide, and we’ve seen that throughout the years, and that momentum has progressively grown as people have become more informed and educated about these global issues. I think it felt like the right place and the right time to move forward with this effort,” Cady said.
The referendum is nonbinding, meaning its outcome will not change Illinois law. Instead, the results will allow voters in the three townships to express whether they support lawmakers pursuing the proposed repeal.
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