MnCUN is scheduling virtual meetings with members of the US Senate and House of Representatives to discuss issues of importance to credit unions on March 4, as part of CUNA's Government Affairs Conference.

Although encouraged, you do not need to be registered for GAC to participate in these Minnesota-specific meetings. 

Credit Unions in Minnesota make a powerful impact to their members and communities they serve. By providing more access to affordable financial services, credit unions help more Minnesotans own a home, build assets and pay for their children’s education. 

In response to the pandemic, credit unions offered offered assistance to their members by offering skipped payments and loan extensions, emergency loans and waiving fees.

Now is the time to share that message with elected officials during Credit Union Impact Week, starting next Monday, Feb. 1.

How to get involved:

• Register for the Virtual Kick-Off and Legislative Briefing
• Send a postcard to your legislator
• Record a video on WorkingforMN.org

Visit the CU Impact Week Resource page for more information on how to participate all week long!

The Minnesota Credit Union Network is looking for interested candidates to serve as their credit union’s Grassroots Coordinator Program. MnCUN hosts events each year to train and educate Coordinators to continue to grow as advocates for the entire credit union industry.

With a new Presidential administration and new members of Congress and state legislators, political advocacy is critical to advancing the credit union movement. For more information about the program, please contact MnCUN Director of Government Affairs, Ryan Smith at rsmith@mncun.org.

Register now for Credit Union Impact Week – the virtual version of our annual Credit Union at the Capitol Day. The week will offer multiple opportunities to engage with legislators and promote the CU Difference.

Last week, MnCUN provided a preview of the 2021 MN Legislative Session and a preview of the CU Impact Week at the Capitol. ​A recording of the webinar is available for viewing (log in required). MnCUN staff briefed attendees on the credit union-specific issues we’ll be talking with legislators about and provide a complete rundown of what to expect for CU Impact week at the Capitol.

The 2021 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) is March 2 to March 4 and will be taking place virtually due to COVID-19. There are two unique opportunities for participation this year. Crash the GAC will take place between March 1 and March 5.
 
Option 1:
The Cooperative Trust and Credit Union National Association are joining forces to offer 50 scholarships for Crashers at GAC in 2021. Only 50 Crashers will receive FREE conference registration from Credit Union National Association.
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Option 2:
The Crasher’s credit union covers their registration fee and emerging leaders can simply register to participate in this year's Crash the GAC experience. Vist CUNA's website for GAC conference fees. That's right, credit unions can pay their Crasher’s registration fee so that they may attend the GAC in 2021. Crashers choosing this option will need to upload proof of registration in the application.

This is the premier credit union advocacy event of the year; Crasher spots are limited and coveted. We're looking for the brightest talent and those who are passionate about serving others through cooperative finance. 

Applications accepted through 11:59pm CT on Sunday, January 31. 

With the 2021-22 Minnesota legislative session now underway, legislators from both parties and in both bodies have begun introducing proposed bills. Each year, Senators and Representatives draft thousands of proposals to be considered for adoption into law. Well over 90% do not get adopted and a majority of those will never even receive a hearing in a committee. Nonetheless, tracking introduced legislation to identify proposals worthy of support or opposition is one of the more important things MnCUN staff engage in each year. In order to keep our members updated, the Network has created a bill tracking document enabling credit union advocates to keep track of bills that would affect credit unions.

​In addition, we would like to encourage our members to register and participate in Credit Union Impact Week – the virtual version of our annual Credit Union at the Capitol Day. We have a lot advocacy in store and it’s going to be an amazing opportunity to engage legislators in ways we haven’t before on issues affecting our industry. You can register to join us for the kickoff on February 1 at the information below.

CU Impact Week - Virtual Kick Off Event
Monday, February 1, 2021 9:00 - 12:00 PM

With the start of 2021, dozens of new legislators are being sworn into office at both the state and federal levels who will face a myriad of challenges and credit unions engaging in politics is as important as ever.

To that end, MnCUN encourages all credit union leadership, staff, and board members to take part in the CUNA Government Affairs Conference and the Network’s Credit Union Impact Week.

CUNA’s GAC brings together credit union professionals and volunteers from across the country for important sessions on our industry, as well as giving all a chance to lobby their elected Congressional representatives on credit union issues.

Credit Union Impact Week is the 2021 virtual version of the Network’s annual Credit Union Day at the Capitol. The week will feature virtual sessions, grassroots advocacy activities and engagement opportunities to connect with elected leaders in Saint Paul. The Network will provide a briefing on the 2021 MN Legislative Session and a preview of the CU Impact week at the Capitol on Jan. 13, 2021 at 9:00 am. 

“As the economic impact of the pandemic continues it is critical that credit unions share how they provide value to their members and communities,” said MnCUN Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Mara Humphrey. “We look forward to providing plenty of opportunities for credit union advocates to engage with their elected officials on key issues and be a voice for our industry.”

Update Project Zip Code
To maximize the Network’s grassroots advocacy work, please run Project Zip Code (PZC) before CUNA GAC and Credit Union Impact Week. The information collected is used to show legislators how many credit union members are in their districts, helping to demonstrate the power and reach of credit unions.
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As a reminder, PZC is a user friendly, secure computer program that counts your members and matches them by congressional district, state legislative district and county. These counts are then uploaded to CUNA's Project Zip Code website and combined with data from other credit unions nationwide. There are no personally identifiable data points that are required and the PZC site is secured.

You can access the PZC website, including the instructions on how to upload your information, online.

MnCUN is closely monitoring the impact that the SolarWinds breach may have on credit unions.  CUNA has requested that the NCUA cease collecting data from credit unions until the full scope of the attack is known.  CUNA also requested that the agency notify credit unions if it is determined that the agency has been impacted and also that it issue guidance for any impacted credit unions.  The full scope of the data breach may not be known for some time due to the complexity of the attack.

See letter: https://news.cuna.org/articles/118857-cuna-seeks-insight-from-ncua-on-solarwinds-cyberattack

For additional resources see CISA guidance: https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/current-activity/2020/12/19/cisa-updates-alert-and-releases-supplemental-guidance-emergency

Please contact Tim Tacheny, MnCUN General Counsel, if you suspect your credit union may be impacted by this cyberattack.

Late on Monday, the US House and Senate took up and passed an omnibus spending bill that would fund the federal government through September 30, 2021 and avoiding a government shutdown that could have come as early as this week.
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Additionally, the legislation also includes approximately $900 billion in long-awaited pandemic relief for consumers and businesses. Since the passage of the original $2.2 trillion CARES Act back in March, CUNA and MnCUN have spent the intervening months detailing the need for continued action from the federal government and the final bill includes many credit union priorities as a result. The provisions we have advocated for that were included in the final language were:
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• $284 billion for a reauthorization of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and loan forgiveness simplification process that largely tracks the language credit unions have supported and which Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) has sponsored.
• $12 billion for CDFI and MDI institutions: $9 billion in long-term capital investments and $3 billion in grants and technical assistance. 
• $25 billion in emergency rental assistance.
• 1-year extension of Central Liquidity Facility (CLF) and Troubled Debt Relief (TDR) provisions
• An Employee Retention Tax Credit for which all credit unions will be eligible going forward.

In addition to these facets, some other highlights from the bill that will affect credit unions include:

• Stimulus checks that will go up to $600 per person, including adults and children. The size of the payment decreases for people who earned more than $75,000 in the 2019 tax year. The check disappears altogether for those who earned more than $99,000. Stimulus payments are expected to start going out next week.
• An extension of unemployment benefits of up to $300 per week that could kick in as early as Dec. 27 and run at least through March 14.
• An extension to January 31 of the moratorium on evictions that was slated to expire at the end of the year. The incoming Biden administration can extend the deadline further.

The final bill was well over 5000 pages so a full analysis will yet take time, but we are confident that credit unions have had a hugely positive impact on the finished product.

Network staff will follow the bill as it makes it way to the President for signature or veto.

Thanks those who shared the needs of your members during the pandemic – the stories that you shared truly helped make an impact when we spoke to legislators about the importance of continued legislative relief issues.