West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore today announced his endorsement and support for Indiana House Bill 1008, which would protect Indiana’s investments and economy from radical corporate activists.

“House Bill 1008 will be a critical step forward in our fight against the woke capitalists on Wall Street who are using the guise of Environmental, Social and Governance standards to impose a radical social agenda across our country,” Treasurer Moore said. “Nine states have already taken action to protect state funds from being used against our citizens’ interests, and I hope Indiana will become the tenth.”

West Virginia was the first state to take action by divesting its Board of Treasury Investments from BlackRock last January. It later passed legislation creating the first Restricted Financial Institutions List, which ultimately barred five firms from doing business with the state.

Over the past year, eight other states – Arizona, South Carolina, Utah, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Florida and Kentucky – have taken similar actions, and Oklahoma is moving forward with implementing its own legislation as well.

Treasurer Moore said it’s critical that states use their power in the marketplace to stand up for their citizens’ financial and constitutional interests.

“The ESG movement is a cartel of woke elites who have realized they can’t pass their radial social agenda through democratic means, so instead they’re using corporate power and influence to implement it instead,” Treasurer Moore said. “That’s why states must use our power as market participants to stand up for our citizens’ rights and values.”

Treasurer Moore said that as West Virginia sought to pass its legislation last year, major Wall Street banks tried to use their influence to push back against that agenda. But ultimately, legislators overwhelmingly supported the proposal.

“I encourage Indiana lawmakers to stand up to the woke capitalists and do what’s right for your citizens,” Treasurer Moore said.