Legislative Update with Chesney

​Upcoming advocacy events; SD legislative highlights; and preparing for meetings with our elected officials as we soon head to GAC. 

by Chesney Garnos, Director of Political & Grassroots Affairs
 
Advocacy Events You Won’t Want to Miss!
In the coming months, our advocacy efforts continue with a lineup of events designed to engage, inspire, and mobilize our community towards meaningful action.

• GAC “Chairman’s Challenge” (March 3rd-7th, Washington, D.C.):

A fun competition among all 50 states to support CULAC is back March 3rd through the 7th!  Known to many as the “Chairman’s Challenge”, this event helps raise crucial advocacy funds which can be contributed in-person or virtually on these dates. Rumor has it that SD CULAC Chair Chad Moller and ND CULAC Chair Paul Brucker are both ready to take home the gold – any guesses on who will come out on top for this year’s challenge?

• Stack the PAC (May 14th, DakCU’s Annual Summit, Larchwood, IA):

Introducing a new social event to honor PAC contributors. This gathering is a testament to the strength of our collective efforts and the impact of individual contributions. We cannot wait to celebrate with you to kick off the Annual Summit on the evening of March 14th!

• Par for the PAC (July 18th, Rapid City, SD):

Our inaugural golf event in the Black Hills offers a unique opportunity for credit union members to network and engage with local legislators in a fun, slightly competitive setting. Registration will be available mid-March, so stay tuned!

South Dakota Legislative Highlights
Last week in Pierre was full of action. We witnessed the fate of several bills we've been closely monitoring: 

• SB 95, which was an act to exempt one motor vehicle of a debtor from being taken by legal process, was defeated in committee. This aligned with our stance, as we opposed this bill. Our SD GAC and advocacy team was able to take action on this bill before it was heard in committee by providing a comment letter on our concerns with this legislation and its unintended consequences on our credit union members.
• HB 1199, an act to repeal certain provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code, was another bill that we opposed that we saw some action on last week. While this bill was sent to the 41st day in committee earlier in the session, the bill sponsor invoked joint rule 7-7 known as a “smoke out.” This rule requires one-third of the House to support the motion to reconsider to support the motion to smoke out. Ultimately, the bill did not pass out of the House and was killed again.

This week, I will be back in Pierre. SB 134 is a bill proposing vital funding for the Healthy Forest Critical Infrastructure Relief and Grant Program. This program would have an impact on our credit union members and credit unions in the Black Hills and west river regions. We are geared up to support this bill in the upcoming committee meeting happening today!
 
As a friendly reminder, you can visit our full bill tracking list at DakCU.org/bill-tracking.html. If you have questions on tracking, click here or the image below to watch a “how to” video where I walk you through the simple steps to track legislation through our website.

National Advocacy Efforts
At the national level, things continue to remain busy, and we will definitely have a packed agenda of items to talk about to our South Dakota and North Dakota lawmakers when we are out in Washington, D.C. for the GAC. Our national advocacy efforts have been robust, focusing on crucial hearings and legislative matters that impact credit unions and their members. Check out last week’s roundup below:

• FinCEN Oversight: We've addressed the challenges of BSA/AML compliance, advocating for reasonable measures that don't overburden credit unions. View the hearing here and check out the letter.
• Labor Department Regulations: Our concerns with the proposed fiduciary rule highlight its potential negative impacts on credit unions and their ability to serve members effectively. View the hearing here and check out the letter.
• VA Home Loan Program: In collaboration with DCUC, we're advocating for enhancements to improve support to our veterans. View the hearing here and check out the letter.
• Fed Discount Window and Emergency Lending: We've stressed the importance of liquidity access for credit unions, emphasizing the need for adjustments to the CLF. View the hearing here and check out the letter.

Last but certainly not least, here is a hearing to put on your radar for this week:

• On February 22 at 10 AM ET, tune into a field hearing entitled: "Restoring Prosperity in American Communities", which will examine housing policies. to address housing policy here.

As our advocacy team continues to monitor these legislative issues, your engagement and support are invaluable. We encourage you to stay involved and informed so we can drive positive change for our credit unions together!
 
Feel free to contact me with any advocacy questions or comments!