City of Lansing Charter Revision Proposal
Ethical Investment Clause
(Proposed revision to: ARTICLE 7 – TAXATION AND FINANCE)
Chapter 5. ETHICAL INVESTMENT
The City of Lansing shall not, directly or indirectly, through subsidiary or otherwise engage in investments in or procurements from industries, entities, or ventures that are dangerous to human life, complicit in human rights abuses, or contribute to the destruction of natural resources, including, but not limited to:
(A) Investments in or procurements from industries, entities, or ventures that manufacture weapons, military technology systems, or surveillance technology.
(B) Investments in or procurements from private prisons and detention centers, including the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
(C) Investments in or procurements from industries, entities, or ventures whose products or byproducts are destructive to the natural environment and human health, such as fossil fuels, carcinogens, and pipelines.
(D) Investments in or procurements from entities or ventures associated with any nation-state engaged in the maintenance of illegal occupation, annexation, or apartheid as determined by the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICJ) or the International Criminal Court (ICC).
(E) Investments in or procurements from industries, entities, or ventures that are complicit in human rights abuses including violations of civil and labor rights.
Where possible, the City of Lansing shall make investments locally to directly uplift the Lansing community, including:
(A) Investments in entities or ventures that uphold racial, ethnic, gender, disability, and sexual equality, equity, and justice.
(B) Investments in entities or ventures that provide clean, safe, and sustainable renewable energy.
(C) Investments that strengthen local relationships with Tribal communities through the return of national public lands to Indigenous/Tribal stewardship.
(D) Investments in entities or ventures that meet or exceed the national or local fair wage standards (whichever is higher) and uphold the rights of people to elect to join or form trade unions and bargain collectively.
In order to abide by the above provisions, the City must:
(A) Establish a Sustainable and Ethical Preferred Procurement Policy establishing policy and procedures for acquiring and maintaining investments with responsibility to minimize negative impacts on human life and the environment in accordance with the City Charter.
(B) Form an Ethical Investment Review Board for assessment that all investments are in accordance with the City Charter and the Sustainable and Ethical Preferred Procurement Policy.
(1) The Ethical Investment Review Board will conduct an annual review of all city
investments past and present to ensure investment policies abide by the City Charter.
(2) The members of the Board shall be residents of the City and hold no other public office or public employment in any local unit of government.
(3) The Ethical Investment Review Board shall have the power to assess and recommend divestiture of all shares, bonds, contracts, or other such investments and procurements in the entities involved in unethical social or environmental harms as described in the above provisions.
(C) Develop a permanent public mechanism for regularly communicating to the Ethical Investment Review Board the views and recommendations of the Lansing community regarding the city’s investments, contracts, and policies.
(D) Ensure that disclosure of City of Lansing investments, contracts, and other such procurements are made publicly accessible and transparent to Lansing residents.