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Governors to Senate: Pass Iran divestment bill

By Eric Fingerhut · November 5, 2009

Seven prominent governors, both Republican and Democrat, have written Senate leaders urging them to pass an Iran sanctions bill that has already been approved by the House.

The group is calling for the approval of the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, which authorizes state and local governments to divest from companies that invest in Iran's petroleum and natural gas industries or do business with Iran's nuclear industry, and protects fund managers who divest from such companies from possible lawsuits.

The governors write that while each of them has already individually taken steps to address the "growing threat" of Iran by going ahead with such divestment, with passage of the legislation "we expect more of our fellow governors may engage in similar efforts, thus dramatically increasing leverage to influence this urgent matter."

Signatories, include Govs. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.), Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.), David Paterson (D-N.Y.), Martin O'Malley (D-Md.), Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.), Bill Ritter Jr. (D-Colo.) and Bobby Jindal (R-La.).

The full letter can be read here.