House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for HB2778 - Committee on Federal and State Affairs
Short Title
Concerning restrictions of state contracts with businesses engaged in anti-Israel boycotts.
Minutes Content for Fri, Mar 16, 2018
Chairperson Barker opened the hearing on HB2778. Jason Long, Revisor, provided an overview of the bill (Attachment 1). Questions were asked by Representatives Highberger and Ellis.
Chairperson Barker recognized Representative Blaine Finch as a proponent on HB2778. He did not provide any written testimony. There have been findings and orders entered in the district court case that are not in accord with the intent of this law. It was never the intent to overburden anyone's First Amendment right to free speech. It was simply to recognize the unique and special relationship that exists between the state of Kansas and the state of Israel as a trading partner. The Attorney General's testimony is instructive. Questions were asked by Representatives Rooker, Jacobs, and Ellis.
Jacob Pellegrino was recognized by the Chairperson as a proponent on HB2778 (Attachment 2). Mr. Pellegrino is a senior at the University of Kansas. Americans and citizens of the state of Kansas should continue to support Israel through this piece of legislation reaffirming the fundamentals of the United States-Israel relationship and how it plays a role in our communities. The BDS movement represents just the opposite. The acronym stands for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against the state of Israel.
Chairperson Barker recognized Marjorie Robinow as a proponent of HB2778 (Attachment 3). She is a staunch supporter of free speech and anti-discrimination. She supports this bill. The BDS movement was started in South Africa at the Durbin Conference on Racism. The United States walked out of that conference, followed by Canada, Israel, France, England and Spain. The conference became a bash Israel conference. The BDS movement has since been spurred on by the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe.
Chairperson Barker noted that there was written proponent testimony from Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, Chabad at KU (Attachment 4); Representative Bill Sutton (Attachment 5); Marc Greendorfer, Zachor Legal Institute (Attachment 6); and Attorney General Derek Schmidt (Attachment 7). There is written opponent testimony from Vignesh Ganapathy, American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas (Attachment 8).
Chairperson Barker stated that this bill may be worked on Monday. The hearing was closed on HB2778.
