COLUMBUS, Ohio (9/15/15)--The Ohio Credit Union League is in Washington this week for its annual “Hike the Hill” advocacy trip, and the league would like to address a number of issues with elected officials during its stay in the nation’s Capital. 

Among them, the league hopes to reiterate its support for the changes proposed by the National Credit Union Administration to member business lending rules (eLumination Sept. 9).

The league recently sent a letter to the NCUA that said the proposed changes, which would loosen restrictions on credit unions, were “a very welcome step toward providing real regulatory relief.”

Further, the meetings the league will hold with its congressional representatives this week follow up on the meetings it conducted with elected officials this summer. 

“These meetings will help solidify the messages sent earlier this year in the areas of regulatory reform, consumer data security, and supplemental capital,” said Patrick Harris, league director of legislative affairs. “Our goal this trip is to garner new co-sponsorships in these three key areas.”

Harris added that the league is rolling out something different this year when it meets with lawmakers.

“We are innovating our hill visits by creating ‘issue-based lobbying groups,’ by dividing our 45 attendees into groups with which we hope to target certain congressional members for co-sponsorships,” Harris said.

The league has met with every member of the Ohio delegation this year to ensure credit union priorities remained top of mind. Among those it met with were Laura Swanson, deputy staff director for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D). Brown is the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, a critical leadership position for crafting meaningful regulatory relief, according to the league.

Credit union advocates also attended U.S. Rep. Tom Ryan’s (D) 15th annual fundraiser during the summer. Ryan has long supported the credit union movement and what credit unions do for their members and communities.

The Ohio league, meanwhile, isn’t the only league representing credit unions on Capitol Hill this week.

Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Georgia also have “Hike the Hill” visits taking place.