by Chesney Garnos, Director of Political & Grassroots Affairs Last week, we kicked off the Annual Summit in Fargo with the return of our Stack the PAC Recognition Event—an evening dedicated to honoring those who championed our state and federal PACs in North and South Dakota throughout 2024. Thanks to your generosity and dedication, both states achieved record-breaking fundraising years, marking a major milestone in our advocacy journey. This success would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our credit unions. Your continued commitment to our PAC efforts is what fuels our advocacy momentum—and we’re just getting started. It was a fantastic evening. I want to recognize the credit unions that exceeded 100% of their PAC goal in 2024 once again! To earn Pacesetter status, a credit union must contribute at least $24 per employee and volunteer annually to CUPAC (Credit Union Political Action Committee). These credit unions went above and beyond that benchmark and truly led the way in supporting our advocacy efforts.
Supporting Future Advocates Our silent auction also made a return this year, benefiting the Roger Heacock Scholarship Fund, which helps credit union professionals attend advocacy-related events. We’re thrilled to announce that we raised over $7,045—thank you to everyone who participated. Advocacy in Action Our advocacy team had the privilege of taking the Summit Stage on Wednesday to deliver an engaging panel-style advocacy update. This year’s discussion highlighted our 2024 success stories, current legislative priorities, PAC strategy, and the importance of grassroots engagement. We also covered timely federal updates on the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the Don’t Tax My Credit Union Campaign.  A special thank you to Steve Davis, Chair of the North Dakota Governmental Affairs Committee; Joey Rotert, Chair of the South Dakota Governmental Affairs Committee; and Jason Stverak, Chief Advocacy Officer at the Defense Credit Union Council, for sharing their valuable insights with attendees. Missed the session? Don’t worry, my next Memo article will recap key takeaways from the panel, including insights from Steve Davis and Joey Rotert! Postcard Campaign & Legislative Update
Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Don’t Tax My Credit Union” postcard campaign at Summit. Our advocacy team has successfully delivered your messages to Representative Dusty Johnson and Representative Julie Fedorchak. So where is the bill at now? The House Ways and Means Committee released its draft reconciliation bill this week. We’re happy to report that the credit union tax exemption remains untouched. After a 17-hour markup session on Tuesday, the bill passed out of committee along party lines (26-19). However, the House Budget Committee did not advance the bill in its first vote (16-21) on Friday, but DID PASS the legislation this past Sunday afternoon to address remaining concerns. We are anticipating a House floor vote is possible by the end of the week. The credit union tax status is not mentioned in the bill, secured through a comprehensive tax advocacy strategy executed by our advocacy team at DakCU, America’s Credit Unions, leagues, credit unions, and other partners to ensure the credit union tax-exempt status stayed out of this bill. If passed on the floor, it will then go over to the Senate. Also happening this week:
Tune in next week! For any questions or other advocacy-related queries, please don't hesitate to reach me at [email protected]. Comments are closed.
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