Oklahoma bans more than a dozen woke banks from doing business with the state
Oklahoma announced sweeping actions to ban 13 prominent financial institutions from doing business in the state after an internal review found the companies engage in energy boycotts.
Any banks which participate in Environmental, Social and Governance initiatives will be defined as following a "Woke" fiduciary policy and will be considered to be actively engaged in Energy Industry Boycotts and will be restricted from doing business with the State of Oklahoma.
FIRST ON FOX: Oklahoma is taking action Wednesday to ban 13 major financial institutions from doing business in the state after a review determined the banks engaged in energy boycotts.
Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ is planning to announce the sweeping measure Wednesday morning which represents one of the most aggressive actions any state has taken against banks pursuing so called environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. The move ultimately blocks the banks from managing billions of dollars in Oklahoma pensions, investments and other state entities.
"The energy sector is crucial to Oklahoma’s economy, providing jobs for our residents and helping drive economic growth," Russ said in a statement. "It is essential for us to work with financial institutions that are focused on free-market principles and not beholden to social goals that override their fiduciary duties."
The ban impacts some of the largest asset managers and banks in the country including BlackRock, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and State Street. BlackRock alone reported in April that it has a staggering $9.1 trillion in assets under management.
As of 2022, Oklahoma's oil and gas industry and its component sectors sustained 4,000 businesses, produced $19 billion in state gross domestic product, provided state households with $16.5 billion in earnings and created 85,050 jobs. (Mario Tama/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Oklahoma's actions come three months after Russ sent a letter and questionnaire to dozens of banks and financial institutions on Feb. 1, asking about their climate and energy investment policies. Russ noted at the time that BlackRock manages more than 60% of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System.
Under a 2022 law passed by the state's legislature last year, the state's treasurer is mandated to probe the investment policies of banks it does business with and assemble a list of companies determined to be engaged in a boycott of the energy sector. Russ' office said it received almost 160 responses which helped inform the decision Wednesday.
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