In a recent meeting of Coca-Cola’s shareholders, a proposal was rejected that would have seen the company take action to target states with pro-life laws.
Fox News reports that the proposal in question would involve issuing “a public report prior to December 31, 2023, omitting confidential information and at a reasonable expense, detailing any known and potential risks or costs to the company caused by enacted or proposed state policies severely restricting reproductive rights.” The proposal would also call for “detailing any strategies beyond litigation and legal compliance that the company may deploy to minimize or mitigate these risks.”
The proposal was crafted and introduced by As You Saw, a far-left group that promotes Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) policies in major corporations. The proposal was ultimately rejected by 87 percent of shareholders.
As You Saw claimed, with no evidence, that states with pro-life laws are more likely to see more women drop out of the workforce. Coca-Cola said in a statement after the vote that the company’s “robust risk management processes” are enough to handle such concerns if they do arise, and declared that no further research was needed in the matter.
“In its discretion, the board’s analysis may include effects on employee hiring, retention, and productivity, and decisions regarding closure or expansion of operations in states proposing or enacting restrictive laws and strategies,” the proposal by As You Saw continued, “such as public policy advocacy by the company, related political contribution policies, and human resources or educational strategies.”
Coca-Cola had previously come under fire for left-wing biases after a whistleblower revealed two years ago that the company hosted “diversity training” which, among other things, called on its employees to be “less White.”