Via Reuters (go read the whole thing here):

Republican-led states have unleashed a policy push to punish Wall Street for taking stances on gun control, climate change, diversity and other social issues, in a warning for companies that have waded in to fractious social debates…. This year there are at least 44 bills or new laws in 17 conservative-led states penalizing such company policies …. West Virginia and Arkansas …, for example, stopped using BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) for certain services, due to its climate stance …. In Texas, JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), Bank of America (BAC.N) and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) have been sidelined from the municipal bond market due to laws passed last year barring firms that “boycott” energy companies or “discriminate” against the firearms industry from doing new business with the state…. The … “anti-woke” measures are gaining ground not only in traditional conservative strongholds such as Texas and Kentucky but also in so-called purple states … such as Arizona and Ohio…. Guns and energy were the focus of the roughly dozen state laws and bills last year …. But this year there were also more than a dozen bills relating to … other issues, including “divisive concepts” like critical race theory … mandatory COVID-19 vaccines, or the use of “social credit scores” …. The latter is a theory that companies may take into account an individual’s political leanings when providing and pricing services.

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Photo of Benjamin P. Edwards Benjamin P. Edwards

Benjamin Edwards joined the faculty of the William S. Boyd School of Law in 2017. He researches and writes about business and securities law, corporate governance, arbitration, and consumer protection.

Prior to teaching, Professor Edwards practiced as a securities litigator in the New…

Benjamin Edwards joined the faculty of the William S. Boyd School of Law in 2017. He researches and writes about business and securities law, corporate governance, arbitration, and consumer protection.

Prior to teaching, Professor Edwards practiced as a securities litigator in the New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. At Skadden, he represented clients in complex civil litigation, including securities class actions arising out of the Madoff Ponzi scheme and litigation arising out of the 2008 financial crisis. Read More