A Texas State Investment fund, under the leadership of school board chairman Aaron Kinsey, just divested 8.5 billion dollars from Blackrock. Blackrock quickly retaliated, suggesting that the move was against the law. On this episode of Meeting of Minds we talk to the Honorable Jason Isaac, formerly of the Texas Legislature, who played a key role in drafting the legislation. Isaac defends the Texas law and the decision to divest from Blackrock as in accordance with that law. Isaac also discusses research from the American Energy Institute and from the Texas Public Policy Foundation showing exactly how Blackrock attacks the energy industry. Isaac goes on to defend the Treasurer of Oklahoma Todd Russ, who is likewise under attack for following his state's law and attempting to divest from Blackrock. Finally, Isaac shows how the anti-fossil fuel agenda is really an anti-human agenda, at war with humans and with nature.

A Texas State Investment fund, under the leadership of school board chairman Aaron Kinsey, just divested 8.5 billion dollars from Blackrock. Blackrock quickly retaliated, suggesting that the move was against the law. On this episode of Meeting of Minds we talk to the Honorable Jason Isaac, formerly of the Texas Legislature, who played a key role in drafting the legislation. Isaac defends the Texas law and the decision to divest from Blackrock as in accordance with that law. Isaac also discusses research from the American Energy Institute and from the Texas Public Policy Foundation showing exactly how Blackrock attacks the energy industry. Isaac goes on to defend the Treasurer of Oklahoma Todd Russ, who is likewise under attack for following his state's law and attempting to divest from Blackrock. Finally, Isaac shows how the anti-fossil fuel agenda is really an anti-human agenda, at war with humans and with nature.

Meeting of Minds brings together the top minds in history, theology, finance, economics, language, mathematics and science. Host Jerry Bowyer invites guests to be both intelligent and clear and to follow truth wherever it leads.

Meeting of Minds brings together the top minds in history, theology, finance, economics, language, mathematics and science. Host Jerry Bowyer invites guests to be both intelligent and clear and to follow truth wherever it leads.

Meeting of Minds Podcast

I talk to the smartest people in the world about the wisest people who have ever lived, and I ask them not to dumb it down and not to follow any party line.

I talk to the smartest people in the world about the wisest people who have ever lived, and I ask them not to dumb it down and not to follow any party line.

Meeting of Minds

Texas and the Battle of Blackrock, Origins

In a recent op/ed for the Wall Street Journal, Commissioner of Revenue for the State of Alaska Adam Crum made the case that a recent attempt by blue state pensions to intimidate the board into acquiescing to the demands of anti-oil activists is a violation of the fiduciary duty to put retirees’ life savings ahead of politics. (Exxon Mobil Takes On Climate Extremists - WSJ). He should know. Commissioner Crum is responsible for the oversight of 138 billion dollars in public assets. And as the Commissioner of Revenue, he sits on the boards both of the state’s pension fund and of the state’s Permanent Fund, which receives oil and gas royalties and distributes them and investment earnings as dividends to the citizens of Alaska.After all, it was the discovery of oil and gas, without which, Crum argues, Alaska would never have been permitted to become a state. The Alaska model  has also been a tremendous success for indigenous “First Peoples”, with groundbreaking legislation 50 years ago that allowed them to monetize the mineral rights of their land, creating unprecedented prosperity, while at the same time allowing them to their subsistence way of life such as hunting, fishing and whaling. Crum insists on fulfilling his role on the basic principle enshrined in law and long tradition that a trustee must put financial return for beneficiaries as the one and only end of pension management and leaving politics out of it.

In a recent op/ed for the Wall Street Journal, Commissioner of Revenue for the State of Alaska Adam Crum made the case that a recent attempt by blue state pensions to intimidate the board into acquiescing to the demands of anti-oil activists is a violation of the fiduciary duty to put retirees’ life savings ahead of politics. (<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-mobil-takes-on-climate-extremists-6948185e">Exxon Mobil Takes On Climate Extremists - WSJ</a>). He should know. Commissioner Crum is responsible for the oversight of 138 billion dollars in public assets. And as the Commissioner of Revenue, he sits on the boards both of the state’s pension fund and of the state’s Permanent Fund, which receives oil and gas royalties and distributes them and investment earnings as dividends to the citizens of Alaska. After all, it was the discovery of oil and gas, without which, Crum argues, Alaska would never have been permitted to become a state. The Alaska model  has also been a tremendous success for indigenous “First Peoples”, with groundbreaking legislation 50 years ago that allowed them to monetize the mineral rights of their land, creating unprecedented prosperity, while at the same time allowing them to their subsistence way of life such as hunting, fishing and whaling. Crum insists on fulfilling his role on the basic principle enshrined in law and long tradition that a trustee must put financial return for beneficiaries as the one and only end of pension management and leaving politics out of it.

Can Alaska Teach America How to Do Energy Right?

According to Alabama State Auditor Andrew Sorrell, blue state pension plans and the stakeholder capitalism movement have been attempting to intimidate private corporations into imposing policies which have been repeatedly rejected by Americans at the ballot box. Sorrell points out that the demands of anti-energy activists and blue state pension bosses would lead inevitably to an authoritarian shutdown of all oil and gas resources in perpetuity. Particularly ominous is the attempt this week to remove the board of directors of ExxonMobil, the world's largest private oil company, using the states' pension assets, which he wrote about here: State Auditor Andrew Sorrell: Blue state officials play cheap political games ahead of Exxon shareholder meeting (1819news.com). Sorrell offers a serious warning to America about how much our liberties are at stake in this battle to keep politics from invading and weaponizing corporate life.

According to Alabama State Auditor Andrew Sorrell, blue state pension plans and the stakeholder capitalism movement have been attempting to intimidate private corporations into imposing policies which have been repeatedly rejected by Americans at the ballot box. Sorrell points out that the demands of anti-energy activists and blue state pension bosses would lead inevitably to an authoritarian shutdown of all oil and gas resources in perpetuity. Particularly ominous is the attempt this week to remove the board of directors of ExxonMobil, the world's largest private oil company, using the states' pension assets, which he wrote about here: <a href="https://1819news.com/news/item/state-auditor-andrew-sorrell-blue-state-officials-play-cheap-political-games-ahead-of-exxon-shareholder-meeting">State Auditor Andrew Sorrell: Blue state officials play cheap political games ahead of Exxon shareholder meeting (1819news.com)</a>. Sorrell offers a serious warning to America about how much our liberties are at stake in this battle to keep politics from invading and weaponizing corporate life.

How the Left Uses Corporations to Get Policies Voters Reject

A group of blue state officials are attempting to use their pension funds to kick out the board of ExxonMobil because the firm has successfully sued to block an attempt by an activist group to place a proposal on the company's ballot that is hostile to the oil and gas industry. In addition, these states are pressuring Blackrock, JPMorgan Chase, and other asset managers to also vote against the Exxon board. In this episode of Meeting of Minds, Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming explains that if this unprecedented act of intimidation were to succeed, how devastating it would be to his home state, America, and the world. The Treasurer tells why he has urged the pension plans of Louisiana not to participate in this blue state corporate coup attempt (Treasurer Fleming condemns plot to take over Exxon (kedm.org)), and why his fellow red state treasurers have urged America's largest asset managers also not to participate (U.S. Republican states support Exxon in shareholder activism dispute | Reuters). He explains that what is truly at stake is the modern economy itself. 

A group of blue state officials are attempting to use their pension funds to kick out the board of ExxonMobil because the firm has successfully sued to block an attempt by an activist group to place a proposal on the company's ballot that is hostile to the oil and gas industry. In addition, these states are pressuring Blackrock, JPMorgan Chase, and other asset managers to also vote against the Exxon board. In this episode of Meeting of Minds, Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming explains that if this unprecedented act of intimidation were to succeed, how devastating it would be to his home state, America, and the world. The Treasurer tells why he has urged the pension plans of Louisiana not to participate in this blue state corporate coup attempt (<a href="https://www.kedm.org/louisiana-news/2024-05-23/california-and-other-left-winged-governments-attempt-to-take-over-exxon-through-their-pension-funds" aria-label="Link Treasurer Fleming condemns plot to take over Exxon (kedm.org)">Treasurer Fleming condemns plot to take over Exxon (kedm.org)</a>), and why his fellow red state treasurers have urged America's largest asset managers also not to participate (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-republican-states-support-exxon-shareholder-activism-row-2024-05-24/" aria-label="Link U.S. Republican states support Exxon in shareholder activism dispute | Reuters">U.S. Republican states support Exxon in shareholder activism dispute | Reuters</a>). He explains that what is truly at stake is the modern economy itself.

Texas and the Battle of Blackrock, Origins

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