On Wednesday, February 28, 2018, a delegation from the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) was pleased to have attended a hearing initiated by the CA State Senate’s Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange, under the leadership of Committee Chair, California State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D-25).
The committee convened its inaugural hearing at the State Capitol in Sacramento, and covered a wide range of subjects, including the re-invigoration of trade between California and Armenia, the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Sumgait Pogrom by way of powerful testimony from human rights activist, author, and refugee from Baku, Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, and an enlightening discussion on the University of California (UC) system’s and UC students’ respective positions vis-a-vis divesting approximately $75M from the Republic of Turkey. The latter discussion was precipitated by a successful grassroots divestment campaign on every UC campus by UC student activists of Armenian descent. The Armenian Assembly of America extends its profound gratitude to State Senator Portantino for chairing the hearing, and commends State Senators Scott Wilk, Ben Allen, and John Moorlach for their participation.
Armenian Assembly delegates had an opportunity to provide statements during the public comment period of the hearing. Assembly delegation members included Southern California Regional Council member Helen Haig, Assembly Central Valley activists Daniel Aydenian and Helvina Grikoryan, and Western Region Director Mihran Toumajan.
Assembly delegation members are also grateful to have privately met and discussed a wide range of issues with Members of the California State Assembly and State Senate, including California State Assemblymembers Dante Acosta (R-38), Laura Friedman (D-43), Heath Flora (R-12) and Jim Patterson (R-23), and California State Senators Scott Wilk (R-21), John Moorlach (R-37) and Tom Berryhill (R-8).
Among the issues discussed with Members of the State Senate is the status of AB-1597, authored by California State Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (D-46), which, if approved and signed into law, would prohibit California’s public employee retirement systems (CalPERS and CalSTRS) from investing new or renewing existing public funds in Turkish government-issued, owned, controlled, or managed bonds and assets. AB-1597 overwhelmingly passed (67 – 0) during a floor vote in the California State Assembly on June 1, 2017 and is currently pending in the California State Senate’s Committee on Public Employment and Retirement. The Armenian Assembly of America has submitted a written statement for the record in support of AB-1597.