Providence voters overwhelmingly approved Question 7 Tuesday, making the city the first in the United States to adopt a divestment measure targeting governments accused of human rights violations through a direct popular vote. The ordinance requires the city to refrain, to the best of its ability, from future investments in governments committing severe human rights violations and the companies complicit in them, according to reporting cited by the Brown Daily Herald.
Rhode Island Current reported the measure had over 76 percent support, or 20,925 votes, as of 8:53 p.m. with 76 of 82 precincts reporting. The outcome was lopsided.
What the Ordinance Actually Requires
Question 7 does not name Israel. Rhode Island Current reports that the proposal did not name the country directly, though both supporters and opponents have identified Israel's military actions in Gaza as the impetus behind the measure. The ordinance instead targets investments connected to governments accused of genocide, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and prolonged military occupation more broadly, per the Herald's reporting.
Under the measure, the city treasurer would review Providence's investment portfolio annually, according to Ocean State Media's reporting ahead of the vote. The treasurer would also be required to publish an annual report on the city's compliance, per the Herald.
How Question 7 Reached the Ballot
Question 7 got to voters only after the City Council declined to enact the proposed ordinance on its own. A citizen petition led by the Providence for Palestine coalition then collected more than 6,000 verified signatures to force the question onto the November ballot, Rhode Island Current reported. Rhode Island Current described Providence for Palestine as a coalition of progressive organizations.
A Divided Field of Elected Officials
The measure split Providence's political leadership. Mayor-elect David Morales, the state representative for Providence who was elected mayor Tuesday, supported Question 7, the Herald reports. Outgoing Mayor Brett Smiley opposed it, as did Dave Talan, Morales's Republican opponent in the mayoral race, according to Rhode Island Current. Some opponents argued the ordinance directly targets Israel.
A Comparison With Medford
Providence and Medford have adopted divestment measures with different scopes.
Medford's experience offers a glimpse of what could follow. That city's Values-Aligned Local Investments Ordinance requires divestment of public funds from companies tied to weapons manufacturing, fossil fuels, private prisons and entities accused of human rights violations, according to The Tufts Daily. Two Medford residents have since filed a federal lawsuit seeking to strike that ordinance down, the student newspaper reported.
