In an overwhelmingly majority vote, the Ohio House of Representatives passed legislation prohibiting the state from contracting with companies that participate in boycotts on Israel, with which the state has booming commercial connections.

Ohio’s House of Representatives on Wednesday passed new legislation that targets businesses or other entities engaged in the anti-Israel boycott movement, marking the latest victory in the fight against the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement on the US state level.

Bill 476, which was introduced in February, was approved by an 81-13 vote. Five members did not vote.

The new legislation prohibits a state agency from contracting with a company that is boycotting or disinvesting from Israel and requires companies to explicitly state in contracts declaring they are not boycotting or disinvesting from Israel, an agreement that would last throughout the duration of the contract.

Rep. Kirk Schuring is the primary sponsor of the bill. There are 13 co-sponsors, including Speaker of the House Cliff Rosenberger.

“Our state’s relationship with Israel generates more than $200 million of economic benefit for Ohio each year,” Schuring said in a statement, according to the Cleveland Jewish News. “This legislation provides more opportunities for Ohio to continue its strong alliance with Israel, as well as bolster our economy here at home.”

The ACLU of Ohio issued a statement saying it opposes the bill, claiming it is an “unwarranted attack on First Amendment rights” because it “severely restricts the right to speak out or take action based on political beliefs.”

The bill now moves to the Ohio Senate.

Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Rhode Island have passed bills fighting boycotts on Israel.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed an executive order banning state agencies from investing in companies that support boycotts on Israel.

More than 20 states are considering, or have passed, legislation targeting companies that comply with the anti-Israel BDS movement, and many countries around the world have introduced and passed similar laws.

The BDS movement promotes financial, academic and cultural boycotts against Israel, ostensibly as a nonviolent struggle against the so-called “Israeli occupation.”

在绝大多数的投票中，俄亥俄州众议院通过了立法，禁止国家与参与以色列抵制的公司签订合同，国家与该公司建立了商业联系。

俄亥俄州众议院周三通过新的立法，目标企业或其他实体从事反以色列抵制运动，标志着在美国国家层面上反对BDS（抵制，分裂，制裁）运动的最新胜利。

2月份提出的第476号法案获得81-13票赞成。五个成员没有投票。

新法律禁止州政府机构与一家抵制以色列抵制或撤销投资的公司签订合同，并要求公司明确声明合同中声明他们不是抵制以色列或从以色列撤销投资，这项协议将持续整个合同期。

代表Kirk Schuring是账单的主要赞助商。共有13个赞助者，包括House Cliff Rosenberger的演讲者。

“我们国家与以色列的关系每年为俄亥俄州带来超过2亿美元的经济利益，”舒恩在一份声明中说，根据克利夫兰犹太新闻。 “这项立法为俄亥俄州提供了更多的机会，继续与以色列的强有力的联盟，以及支持我们在这里的经济。

俄亥俄州立大学的ACLU发表声明说，它反对法案，声称这是一个“无端攻击第一修正案权利”，因为它“严重限制了发表的权利或基于政治信仰采取行动。

法案现在移动到俄亥俄参议院。

亚利桑那州，科罗拉多州，佛罗里达州，乔治亚州，伊利诺伊州，印第安纳州，爱荷华州，南卡罗来纳州，宾夕法尼亚州，新泽西州和罗德岛州通过了抵制以色列抵制的法案。

纽约州州长安德鲁·库莫最近签署了一项行政命令，禁止国家机构投资支持抵制以色列的公司。

20多个国家正在考虑或已通过针对符合反以色列BDS运动的公司的立法，世界上许多国家已经颁布并通过了类似的法律。

BDS运动促进对以色列的金融，学术和文化抵制，表面上是对所谓的“以色列占领”的非暴力斗争。