Proxy Rules Debate

The ongoing debate over the SEC rules and "proxy access" reached the banking committee of the US Senate last week.

As regular readers of my other blog, Pragmatism Refreshed, (cfaille.blogspot.com) know, I'm all in favor of the Second Circuit's AFSCME decision, and in favor of letting it stand. The decision opened the doors for a sort of meta-election, in which dissident stockholders can get on a proxy ballot asking the whole body of shareholders to determine rules for directorial elections.

I'm happy about AFSCME not despite the possibility that it will prove a "slippery slope," to other avenues for shareholder democracy, but largely because it might.

By itself, this is a small matter. I can't imagine a lot of election-rules tinkering breaking out in corporate America as a result of anything the SEC does or doesn't do, nor do I think a lot of good would be accomplished it it did.

Still, the shareholders own the company, and it is good to remind the company management, their employees, of that simple fact.

At any rate, the SEC has under consideration two rule proposals which would (to differing degrees) cut back on the AFSCME precedent. Those rules were the subject of the banking committee hearing last week, and SEC chairman Cox gave the usual bureaucratic on-the-one hand but on-the-other-hand sort of testimony.

I think the very fact that the SEC is short handed now will prevent it from doing anything rash in the immediate future. Its good to know, though, that the members of that agency know that the legislature, with its oversight responsibilities in mind, is looking over their shoulder.