Capitol Eyes

April 24, 2012

Grassroots efforts to pass MBL legislation

With the US Senate poised to take a vote on the Credit Union Small Business Jobs Bill (S. 2231), to raise the limit on member-business lending, it is important for the credit union movement to make its collective voice heard in support of this bill.

The credit union movement in Wisconsin needs every employee, director and member to take 30 seconds to send a pre-written letter to Senator Johnson and Senator Kohl to relay the important, positive impact this legislation will have on Wisconsin's economy.

Consider using some of the following examples to encourage participation at your credit union today:

Community First Credit Union demonstrates how the interactive tools provided by CUNA and The League allow their membership to join the fight. They included a call to action in their webpage rotating banner, added a permanent link on their front page and created an informational page for members unfamiliar with the topic.
Premier Financial Credit Union has pre-written letters available in their lobby for members to sign and mail right from the credit union. Premier Financial estimates that they have mailed over 250 of these member-created letters.

CUNA and The League have assembled a variety of useful tools to help Wisconsin's credit unions maximize their grassroots efforts. Letters, banners, fact sheets, information packets and other resources are all located at The League's MBL site here.

Please join the fight and urge Senator Johnson and Senator Kohl to support S. 2231.

Contribute Items for WCULAF Silent Auction at Convention

Building on last year's record contribution levels for WCULAF, each chapter has again been asked to contribute to the WCULAF Silent Auction at this year's Convention.

With great items, competitive bids and strong participation in this year's WCULAF Silent Auction, we can continue to increase credit unions' influence and visibility with policy makers and candidates.

Here are some ways you can contribute to the 2012 Auction:

Contribute money or items towards your chapter's auction item fund
Personally donate items to the Auction
Bid early and bid often at this year's auction on Thursday, May 10 from 8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.

Please contact Mark Bender in the Government Affairs Department if you have any questions at (608) 514-0081or mbender@theleague.coop.

Governor Proclaims April 22-28 Credit Union Youth Week

On Monday, Governor Walker signed a proclamation declaring April 22-28 National Credit Union Youth Week. National Credit Union Week invites younger members to learn saving skills. Last year during Youth Week in Wisconsin alone, 2,950 young people deposited $465,992 into savings accounts. You can view the proclamation here.