CHEYENNE — On Sept. 29, the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office held a public comment hearing on its proposed rulemaking to amend Chapters 2, 4, 5, and 10 of its Securities Rules to require disclosure of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) investment strategies by requiring investment advisers, broker-dealers, and securities agents to disclose to their customers or clients whether they are incorporating a social objective, i.e. whether they are considering social criteria, in the investment or commitment of customer or client funds. Sept. 29 also marked the completion of the written public comment period.

“Public input is pivotal to the rulemaking process,” Secretary of State Chuck Gray said in a statement. “Recently, we held a public comment hearing here at the Capitol on our ESG disclosure rule. I remain deeply disturbed by the negative impact ESG investing has on the people of Wyoming due to its malicious targeting of Wyoming’s core industries and the very real potential that ESG investing will harm those whose hard-earned money is being invested through investment strategies which do not consider the highest financial return. As we proceed through the rulemaking process, we will give careful consideration to all comments we have received during the comment period, and will incorporate them into the administrative record.”