Georgia credit unions were a part of a 5,000-plus gathering of leaders from across the country at CUNA’s annual Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C. this week. This conference also provided the window of time to connect with several legislators through the “Hike the Hill” meetings with members of Congress to advocate for legislative support of industry issues and positive bills to bring about regulatory relief for credit unions. These meetings are instrumental in sharing the credit union perspective on issues and pursuing legislation (and illustrating precisely what credit unions do to help people afford life), and the mass of individuals on Capitol Hill serve as a visual show of force of the grassroots capabilities of the industry.
The meetings between legislators and Georgia credit unions addressed the protection of the income tax exemption and the need for comprehensive credit union regulatory relief measures, emphasized Congressional action needed address legislation to protect member data with data breaches, updating the thresholds for CTR and SAR reporting, and the difference in for-profit and not-for-profit financial institutions. Thank you to all the Georgia credit union leaders who traveled to D.C. and for all their time discussing issues with the members of Congress, as well as the credit union representatives who engaged with legislators outside of the Hike the Hill visits to maximize the opportunity to build connections.
To aid the Georgia hikers and provide information to the Congressional staff a legislative micro site was utilized to help educate members of Congress on the key points for credit unions. Please see the microsite for the information shared with Georgia Congressmen, and go to @GCUAGov on Twitter to catch highlights of this hectic yet worthwhile trip, or follow the hashtag #CUNAGAC.
