This post was originally published on this site.
As State Treasurer, I have been vocal in opposing ESG. Early in my tenure, I took steps to protect Mississippi’s Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) from ESG influence. State employees and retirees earned their benefits through years of service. They deserve to know their money is being invested to grow, not to make a political statement.
The Radical Left likes to pretend ESG is harmless. The facts say otherwise. ESG policies have driven capital away from reliable energy, raised costs for families, and injected instability into markets. Worse, they allow unelected actors to reshape the economy without ever answering to voters. That should concern every Mississippian, regardless of party.
The Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act draws a bright line. Retirement savings are not a slush fund for woke causes. They are not leverage for social experiments. They are the hard-earned money of people who expect honesty, prudence, and results.
The legislation passed the House, despite Mississippi’s lone Democrat, Bennie Thompson, voting against it. Nonetheless, I sincerely thank Mississippi’s Republican congressional delegation and President Trump for standing firm in support of workers and retirees.
Americans do not ask for special treatment. They ask for fairness. Protecting retirement savings from political interference is not extreme. It is responsible. And it is long overdue.
David McRae is Mississippi treasurer.