Credit Union Times Vol. 7, No. 4 January 24, 1996

<p>Looking back six years ago finds credit unions in Colorado and Iowa fending off banker attacks on field of membership expansions and taxation. Five banks and two bank trade associations didn’t even let the new year ring in before filing an appeal of a community field of membership expansion granted to Gates Credit Union in late November, 1995. The two separate actions filed only two days after Christmas claim that the FSB “acted arbitrarily and capriciously and in clear abuse of its discretion in granting the application.” Meanwhile in Iowa the tax-exemption issue flared up when state legislators discovered that less rather than more tax money was being paid by banks than in previous years. “The bankers are trying to get legislators to make a political stand that’s insignificant from a revenue standpoint,” said Iowa Credit Union League Vice President Pat Jury. “It’s an emotional issue and the legislators are getting a lot of pressure from banks and bank lobbyists.” ICUL mounted a grassroots campaign called “We the People” and the aggressive approach proved successful as bankers failed to find a single legislative sponsor to offer an amendment either in committee or on the floor to increase taxation of credit unions.</p>