wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] MRTI-Motorola meeting closed to media

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #9017 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

05607
Nov. 10, 2005

MRTI-Motorola meeting closed to media

Open-meetings policy permits closure
of sessions involving 'property negotiation'

by Toya Richards Hill

LOUISVILLE - For the first time in recent history, the committee that
monitors how the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) invests its money has excluded
the media from a significant part of its meeting.

	The Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) committee closed
its meeting today in Chicago to the press, including the Presbyterian News
Service.

	MRTI said the General Assembly's Open Meeting Policy permits the
closure of meetings for property negotiation. The "property" in this case is
stock in the Motorola Corporation.

	MRTI, staffed by the Rev. Bill Somplatsky-Jarman, was scheduled to
meet with Schaumburg, IL-based Motorola Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 (CDT) to
talk about the multinational company's business practices in Israel and
Palestine.

	Motorola, a large electronics and telecommunications company, is one
of five corporations MRTI is "engaging" in an effort to get it to discontinue
business practices that are believed to promote violence in Israel and
Palestine. The 216th General Assembly assigned that task to the committee,
and ultimately MRTI could recommend that PC(USA) divest from the companies.

	The denomination, through its Board of Pensions and Foundation/New
Covenant Growth Funds, held 644,400 shares of Motorola stock on June 30. MRTI
claims Motorola's wholly owned subsidiary in Israel has extensive ties to the
Israeli military.

	MRTI's decision to keep the media out of its meeting with Motorola,
and exclude reporters from a debriefing on that meeting on Friday, was deemed
justified by PC(USA) Associate Stated Clerk Mark Tammen.

	The subject matter to be discussed at the meeting "would clearly fall
under the provisions ... of the policy," Tammen said.

	The denomination "defines property as both real and personal," Tammen
said. "Stock certificates would certainly constitute 'property' under our
Constitution."

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to
pcusanews-subscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org or
pcusanews-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org

To contact the owner of the list, please send an email to
pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org