Companies could now throw out shareholder questions on their own judgment, and the agency would say nothing. In an October speech, Atkins urged corporations registered in Delaware — which is most of them — to start killing recommendation-style proposals on exactly that ground. The one activist he named isn’t seizing anythingThe chairman closed with his showpiece statistic:This past season, one—yes, one—individual was the sole or lead proponent for approximately 41 percent of the shareholder proposals that were voted upon. He never says what share of all shareholder proposals won majority support last season — the only comparison that would give his number meaning. Atkins has gagged shareholder proponents, gamed the system against them, and now he’s gaslighting the public he is supposed to serve.