July 9, 2024

Dear Credit Union Leaders, 

Hopefully had a safe and festive Fourth of July weekend! As we draw closer to the summer political conventions and the August Primary Elections, here are the updates you need.

Announcements

Beginning in August, our monthly SAS Compliance Office Hours will be officially opened up to credit unions of all sizes. As a reminder, Compliance Office Hours are held at 9:00am on the first Friday of every month. The next session will be held on August 2. For more information, please contact Brad (Bradley.Willett@mcul.org).

Advocacy

In Lansing, the State Legislature has recessed for the summer. They have tentatively scheduled session dates at various intervals, but they are not expected to convene substantively until September. Prior to the close of session in June, lawmakers passed the FY 2025 State Budget. Included in next year’s spending provisions were $5 million for the Michigan Saves green lending program, as well as $5 million in additional funding for the state CDFI fund. We did not see any additional action on garnishments and collection reform, as the sponsors and Committee Chairs wish to take the summer to digest commentary and work on amendments. Our team is actively taking comments from credit unions and working with stakeholders as this process continues.

Related to interchange, legislation in Pennsylvania mimicking that passed in Illinois appears to have fizzled but the League system continues to monitor these efforts. Here in Michigan, bills were introduced just prior to the summer recess that would exempt the surcharge levied by retailers to cover interchange costs from state sales and use taxes. A recent determination by the Michigan Department of Treasury expressed their intent to assess the taxes on these surcharges. While there is no direct impact on interchange for financial institutions, MCUL will closely monitor these bills as the overall concept of interchange now enters the legislative space. Additionally, bills were introduced to unify the licensing treatment for medical and recreational cannabis. Our team will be seeking feedback from credit unions this summer, and will monitor for movement when the Legislature returns in the fall.

In Washington, D.C., the credit union industry has been monitoring proposed amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) dealing with both interchange as well as the Overseas Military Banking Program as the U.S. House and Senate’s versions work their way through the enactment process. The Senate version’s base text was released earlier this week, and appears clean of any amendments related to financial institutions at this time. As mentioned previously, America’s Credit Unions along with the Leagues have been closely monitoring the introduction of new housing legislation by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as discussions related to CRA swirl. U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced S. 4570, the Secure Payments Act (S. 4570), to require the Federal Reserve to study the impacts of its proposed rule to reduce the Regulation II debit interchange fee cap, and to perform a quantitative analysis before the proposal can be finalized. America’s Credit Unions joined other financial services trade associations in writing a joint letter of support for the measure in June. U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) introduced H.R. 7531, the House version of this legislation, in March.

For a full update on state and federal regulatory action, please see the “Reg Corner” update in this edition of MILeague Minute.

Grassroots and Advocacy Funding

Hike the Hill will be coming up fast now that we’re well into summer. This year’s event is taking place from September 9-11 in Washington, D.C. For more information, please contact Todd (Todd.Jorns@mcul.org). Also, please stay tuned for information on the 2024-25 Plush Toy Program to benefit our State PAC. The upcoming efforts will feature another adorable toy that your members will love! For more information, please contact DaeSean (DaeSean.Ashby@mcul.org).

Elections

The Primary Election is approaching quickly on August 6. As per our normal practice during election cycles, a full list of endorsed state and federal candidates will continue to be included at the bottom of this update and will be updated onto our website. The next meeting of the Executive Committee of the Government and Political Affairs Forum where endorsements will be considered is July 29.

As always, thank you for all that you do for Michigan’s credit unions!  

Sincerely,

Patty Corkery and the MCUL Advocacy Team

 

2024 Election Endorsements:

U.S. Senate

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin

U.S. House

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, 1st District
U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, 2nd District
U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, 3rd District
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, 4th District
U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, 5th District
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, 6th District
U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, 9th District
U.S. Rep. John James, 10th District
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, 11th District
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, 12th District
U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, 13th District

State House of Representatives

Rep. Karen Whitsett (D) – 4^th District
Rep. Natalie Price (D) – 6^th District
Rep. Erin Byrnes (D) – 15^th District
Rep. Stephanie Young (D) – 16^th District
Rep. Matt Kolezar (D) – 22^nd District
Rep. William Bruck (R) – 30^th District
Rep. Reggie Miller (D) – 31^st District
Rep. Julie Rogers (D) – 41^st District
Rep. Sarah Lightner (R) – 45^th District
Rep. Kathy Schmaltz (R) – 46^th District
Rep. Ann Bollin (R) – 49^th District
Rep. Brenda Carter (D) – 53^rd District
Rep. Donni Steele (R) – 54^th District
Rep. Mark Tisdel (R) – 55^th District
Rep. Nate Shannon (D) – 58^th District
Rep. Joe Aragona (R) – 60^th District
Rep. Denise Mentzer (D) – 61^st District
Rep. Jaime Greene (R) – 65^th District
Rep. Kara Hope (D) – 74^th District
Rep. Penelope Tsernoglue (D) – 75^th District
Rep. Angela Witwer (D) – 76^th District
Rep. Gina Johnsen (R) – 78^th District
Rep. Carol Glanville (D) – 84^th District
Rep. Bradley Slagh (R) – 85^th District
Rep. Nancy DeBoer (R) – 86^th District
Rep. Jerry Neyer (R) – 92^nd District
Former Rep. Tim Kelly (R) – 93^rd District
Rep. Tom Kunse (R) – 100^th District
Rep. Joseph Fox (R) – 101^st District
Rep. Curt VanderWall (R) – 102^nd District
Rep. David Prestin (R) – 108^th District
Rep. Greg Markkanen (R) – 110^th District

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MCULAF is a state-registered political action committee that makes campaign contributions to candidates for elective office in Michigan. Contributions to MCULAF are not tax deductible. Contributions to MCULAF are completely voluntary and will be used for political purposes. You have the right to refuse without any reprisal. Must be 18 years or age or older to participate. Must be a qualified employee (professional, supervisory, managerial and administrative non-clerical position) of the MCUL & Affiliates or a member or qualified employee of an affiliated Michigan credit union. 

Contributions to MCULLAF are not considered charitable contributions or business expenses for income tax purposes. Contributions to MCULLAF are completely voluntary and will be used for political purposes. There shall be no reprisal for those who decide not to contribute. Must be a qualified member of a participating MCUL-affiliated credit union, U.S. citizen and 18-years of age or older to participate. 

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