ATLANTA—Credit unions in Georgia and South Dakota visited their respective state capitals to do some advocacy work and education.
In the Peach State, more than 60 Georgia credit union employees gathered at the state capitol here for the 2020 Georgia State GAC Grassroots Academy, hosted by the Georgia Credit Union Association (GCUA). GCUA is a division of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates, which represents credit unions in Georgia.
During the GAC session, participants from credit unions across Georgia were able to interface with four members of the Georgia legislative body, including Senator John F. Kennedy (R-18); Senator Gloria Butler (D-55); Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-82) and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.
The group also heard from Department of Banking and Finance Commissioner Kevin Hagler and Deputy Commissioner Melissa Sneed from the Department of Banking and Finance as well as experts including Lauren Pollow, administrative director at JL Morgan Company; Tharon Johnson of Paramount Consulting Group, LLC, and Jeremy Brand, a leading political strategist and partner at Parlay Political.
‘Important to Be Here’
“The first thing I want to say to you is how important it is for you to be here,” said Jay Morgan, principal at JL Morgan Company – a firm that lobbies on behalf of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates. “‘Grassroots advocacy’ means that when this day is over, your legislator should know who you are without a nametag – that you’ll be a resource for them when an issue comes up on anything that might affect your business.”
The GCUA said all of the presenters stressed the importance of becoming a resource to legislators about the issues that could affect credit
unions. Sen. Kennedy told the meeting he has frequently leaned on everyday people to help him understand issues on which he needs to vote.
“Have a good relationship with your legislator. Call them,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you have to take them to lunch or take them to dinner. But let them know you have issues you want them to consider. The truth is: we’re expected to come up here and be an expert on a lot of different things – and we’re not really experts on anything except what we do back home. We need input from people like you.”
High-Stakes Issues
According to the GCUA, that input may become especially important during the 2020 session as legislators grapple with a host of high-stakes issues that could potentially affect credit unions, including cannabis banking.
LSCU & Affiliates President Jared Ross said he believes Georgia credit unions are in a positive position to deal with these upcoming issues – thanks in large part to initiatives like GAC.
“The lifeblood of any association is its grassroots advocates. To see so many credit union officials join us in Atlanta to bring the credit union message to the state capitol is amazing,” Ross said. “Days like this are why credit unions have been able to be so successful bringing meaningful change to Georgia’s operating environment. I truly appreciate everyone who joined us for the State GAC and look forward to m
ore great grassroots advocacy events.”
South Dakota CU’s Hike Hill
In the Mt. Rushmore state, South Dakota’s CU participated in the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas’ annual Legislative Credit Union Day, with more than 30 credit union advocates representing 15 credit unions on hand, in addition to CUAD staff.
The day began with a meeting for members of the South Dakota Governmental Affairs Committee, and then continued with the larger group making their trek to the capitol, where they were recognized in both chambers. Later in the afternoon, a leadership dialogue was held, where CUAD staff provided a briefing of current legislative issues, as well as helpful resources that are new this year to CUAD member credit unions.
The evening concluded with what the CUAD called a very popular Legislative Social, which brought the credit union advocates together for more networking and discussion, and also saw nearly 60 state legislators in attendance as honored guests.
“The South Dakota Legislative Credit Union Day is our best vehicle to meet face-to-face with our state lawmakers and educate them on the credit union difference,” said CUAD President Jeff Olson. “While the event is designed as a social activity, credit union leaders from across the state did a great job connecting with legislators from their respective districts. The success of this event certainly helps us build better relationships with our legislators and our overall relevance at the state capitol.”
Participating credit unions included: Aberdeen Federal Credit Union; Alloya Corporate Federal Credit Union; Black Hills Federal Credit Union; Dakota Rail Line Federal Credit Union; Dakotaland Federal Credit Union; Highmark Federal Credit Union; Med5 Federal Credit Union; M-O Federal Credit Union; Norstar Federal Credit Union; Northern Hills Federal Credit Union; Oahe Federal Credit Union; Sentinel Federal Credit Union; Sioux Falls Federal Credit Union; Sioux Valley Co-op Federal Credit Union; and Voyage Federal Credit Union.