Past Legislative Efforts: HB1455

Through the tireless effort of Break the Bonds supporters, we were able to get our campaign onto the statehouse floor in the form of House Bill 1455. Introduced by the allied delegates Caylin Young, Gabriel Acevero, Tiffany T. Alston, and Ashanti Martinez, HB1455 calls for divestment from the $65.5 million that Maryland’s state retirement and pension system currently held in risky Israeli sovereign bonds. These bonds serve as a blank check to finance Israel’s bombs, bulldozers, and ammunition.

HB 1455 was modeled after other successful divestment bills, which forced the MSRPS to end its bond investments in South Africa, Sudan, Iran, and most recently in 2022, Russia.

Despite a fierce lobbying campaign including a demonstration outside of the State House, a packed house of campaign supporters providing testimony in person and hundreds of postcards, the bill ultimately failed to pass. We have already won partial divestment, so we know with more pressure, a full victory is possible. We plan to introduce a similar bill next session in order to divest the remaining $10m+ in bonds and ensure our public investments do not go finance apartheid and genocide in Palestine or anywhere in the world.