Most Texans are unaware of the unsettling fact that their hard-earned tax dollars can legally fund some of the most hostile and notorious terrorist organizations in the world.
State Sen. Van Taylor’s (R-Plano) proposed SB 252 began its track towards becoming law by being heard in the Senate Business and Commerce Committee earlier this month.
The bill, which garnered attention from Gov. Greg Abbott, has been seen as a necessary measure in the wake of the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal implemented by the Obama administration.
The proposed legislation is similar in intent to the Texas Prohibition on Iran Act, which became law in 2013, prohibiting specific state entities from investing tax dollars into companies that provide military equipment to or invest money in Iran.
However, the scope of the 2013 bill only bans state pension and retirement funds from being invested in or towards Iran, whereas the bill filed this session will prevent all state and local entities in Texas from allocating taxpayer dollars towards Iran, Sudan, or any terroristic state as determined by the U.S. State Department.
In initially presenting the legislation to the committee, Taylor argued the legislation was a necessary reform that would continue to show Texas’ continued and unwavering support for the United States’ strongest ally in the Middle East; Israel.
Iran has openly threatened violence against Israel and has tested nuclear weapons on several occasions, in an attempt to put Israel on notice.
In both the hearing and in a separate press release, Taylor stated “to date, over 9 million taxpayer dollars have been divested from Iran.”
The bill received no criticism about the content of it in its initial committee hearing, but there were a few questions from an organization who testified about some of the phrasing in the bill.
The bill is expected to easily pass through committee and receive a vote on the Senate floor thereafter.
Texans should demand that their lawmakers, at all levels, completely quash the possibility of their tax dollars supporting terrorist organizations and regimes around the globe.
