Latest news with #AbdelnasserRashid
Middle East Eye
19-05-2025
- Business
- Middle East Eye
US: Illinois state lawmakers attempt long-shot repeal of BDS ban
Progressive members of the Democratic supermajority in the Illinois General Assembly are pushing forward a bill to reverse the decade-old state ban on boycotts of Israel, Capital News Illinois reported on Sunday. Since 2015, Illinois has forbidden the investment of state pension funds in companies that engage in any form of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. The official BDS Movement was launched 20 years ago as a means of non-violent action in the face of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, modelled on the approach that ended Apartheid in South Africa. In the US, 38 states now have some measure of an anti-BDS law that prevents a company or an individual from receiving government contracts if they demonstrate an anti-Israel stance. Ten years ago, Illinois was at the forefront of the campaign. The state set up the Illinois Investment Policy Board for the sole purpose of looking into whether certain companies act against Israeli interests, Capital News pointed out. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The current list of 30 banned companies includes Air Canada, which apologised earlier this year after passengers reported that some of its in-flight maps did not label the state of Israel and instead opted for "Palestinian territories." Uniliver, the parent company of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, is also on the list after it decided in 2021 not to sell its products in the territories Israel occupied after 1967 - namely the occupied West Bank in this case - because it is, according to the United Nations, 'an internationally recognised illegal occupation", the company maintained. Now, Illinois Democrat and the first Palestinian American elected to the state legislature, Abdelnasser Rashid, has introduced House Bill 2723 to repeal the anti-boycott law. 'This is about the right for people to advocate for what they believe - in this particular case, for human rights advocacy - without the state telling you what you have to believe and how you have to act," Rashid said, according to Capital News. 'It is a matter of making sure that Illinois is on the right side of history - not participating in the oppression of the Palestinian people - but it is also about making sure the Illinoisans and companies that do business in Illinois are not being forced and bullied and retaliated against because they chose to stand for human rights.' While one-fifth of the Democratic caucus, including the leaders of the Latino, Black, and Progressive caucuses, initially supported the bill, Capital News said, it has been stalled. With a Democratic supermajority in place, progressives likely want to take advantage of the tide, especially with multiple polls showing support for Israel among the American public is dropping. At the same time, there may be pressure from the top to shelve the bill, given the pro-Israel billionaire and Democratic Governor JB Pritzker is an expected presidential nominee for the 2028 election, and will not want perceived anti-Israel movement within his state to hold back his campaign, Capital News reported. The news report cited J Street - a pro-Israel advocacy group - as not taking a position on boycott laws either way, as long as boycotts are "initiatives which are limited to opposing the occupation" along the 1967 lines, versus calls to abolish the entire state of Israel. At the senate level in the Illinois legislature, some lawmakers have pulled their co-sponsorship of that chamber's anti-Israel boycott bill in recent weeks. Dick Simpson, a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told Capital News: 'Why should they vote on something that isn't going to pass and then cause some constituents to be mad at them?'
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois task force proposes roadmap for AI policies and accountability
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Cracking down on algorithmic discrimination, regulating the use of deepfakes and protecting workers are top legislative actions recommended in a report from the state task force examining the impact of AI on society. The 77-page report by the Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force examined how AI is impacting society by exploring risks, opportunities and implications for Illinois residents in civil rights, education, labor, consumer protections and the environment. 'The findings are sobering. We're witnessing profound changes, many of which are exacerbating existing inequities from algorithmic discrimination that disproportionately affects marginalized communities to the displacement of workers as automation takes over jobs, real people are being hurt,' said task force co-chair State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Berwyn). State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview), said tech companies have benefitted from legislation not keeping up with technology. 'We must no longer allow tech companies to profit from harm while hiding behind legal protection designed for a different era. Americans deserve a safer, more accountable digital landscape,' she said. Tech companies often use Sec. 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 as a shield to avoid accountability, said Gong-Gershowitz, adding the law is outdated and should be repealed. 'This is a critical step in holding tech companies accountable and preventing them from profiting at the expense of our communities,' she said. The state task force called on lawmakers to ensure AI is used fairly, ethically and in a way that benefits everyone. It emphasized the need for collaboration between government, businesses, academic institutions and the general population. 'We can't afford to wait. AI is here and its impact will only continue to grow. We have an opportunity to shape its future, but that requires us to act decisively and boldly,' said Rashid. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
