(Sacramento) - Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) joined the majority of the State Assembly in her support of the Divestment from Turkish Bonds Act (AB 1597), authored by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (D-West Toluca Lake), to hold Turkey accountable for their continued denial of the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians. "Every year this Assembly has passed resolutions to urge our own government to acknowledge the genocide," said Assemblymember Friedman. "Well, now it's time to put some teeth in those resolutions." AB 1597 prohibits the boards of the CalPERS and CalSTRS from making additional or new investments, or renewing existing investments issued, owned, controlled, or managed by the government of Turkey. More specifically, CalPERS and CalSTRS must liquidate any of the investments described above within six months of the passage of a federal law imposing sanctions on Turkey. Watch this Assembly Access video to see Assemblymember Friedman speak in support of AB 1597. http://www.asmdc.org/friedman