This year has been a challenge for bankers. We’ve seen some unprecedented attempts to regulate who our customers are on the state and federal level. While the motives behind the concepts are likely grounded in good intentions, TBA has always preferred to keep regulations focused on consumer protection. We’ve even had to exercise some unfamiliar muscles by making the very unpopular customer reporting provision that would make banks de facto informers to the IRS in the reconciliation bill a very local issue. Our engagement strategy matured, and TBA was able to influence the legislation. This was a good exercise and perhaps a preview of what’s in store for Texas bankers in 2022.
2021 review
To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, let’s go back to when legislators arrived in Austin on January 12, 2021, for the 140-day 87th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature. Little did they know that their duties would not be completed until 280 days and three special sessions later. In addition to passing the budget for the biennium — the only must-pass bill in a regular legislative session — legislators also needed to address the unforeseen issues that stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic and redraw the state’s redistricting maps in accordance with the 2020 Census. Despite urging from some corners for Governor Abbott to call a Fourth Special Session, as of this printing, the Governor has not indicated this will happen.
2022 preview
After such an extensive and eventful legislative session, what can we expect for the state of Texas in 2022? With the adoption of the new district maps for the state House and Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, State Board of Education and the normal election cycle for Texas statewide offices, 2022 will be dominated by a flurry of campaign activity leading up to the March primaries and then the midterm elections next November.
All statewide offices, including governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general are up for election. So are the 31 seats in the Texas Senate, all 150 House members and all 38 (including the two new seats allocated after the Census) of the Texas delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives. As if that wasn’t enough, voters will also be electing 15 members of the State Board of Education, a number of Texas Supreme Court justices and other members of Texas’s appellate judiciary, and numerous local elected officials. To say that 2022 will be a busy campaign season is an understatement.
Bankers have a great story to tell — we must seize the opportunities in 2022 to share the good work you’ve been doing in your communities!
Opportunities lie ahead
So, what does this mean for Texas bankers? There is a huge opportunity in 2022 for Texas bankers to get to know the candidates running for office in your respective areas. More importantly, this is a great time to educate candidates about your institutions and what you do for your communities. All bankers — rural and urban alike — can educate candidates on how they serve families and small businesses. Bankers can show the candidates how they can help you continue to improve the lives in your communities.
The work that Texas bankers do in their communities is often overlooked or taken for granted. We are a part of our customers’ day-to-day lives, but we are also there for the milestones — helping them achieve their dreams, whether it is to own a home, start their own business or save for their children’s future. Texas bankers contribute to the overall well-being of the communities they serve. Sometimes it looks like supporting local 4-H and FFA projects and students, sponsoring little league teams, donating to community redevelopment projects or helping ensure the next generation of Texas bankers reflect the Texas of the future. Meeting with candidates to educate them about the positive impacts bankers are making across the state builds a foundational understanding of what we do that will help guide policymakers and regulators.
TBA can help
It is often said that all politics is local. The bankers that serve each of Texas’ 254 counties are best situated to know the people running for office in their areas. The Texas Bankers Association can play an important role in your efforts to educate candidates and elected officials.
First, we can assist with facilitating meetings with candidates and officeholders in your area. Wynn Baker, TBA’s PAC & advocacy coordinator, can coordinate and advise on who to include in these meetings, provide background information and materials on TBA’s efforts in support of the banking industry at the federal and state levels.
Second, TBA would be honored to participate in these meetings to support you. Candidates often ask us to convene meetings for them with bankers. We look forward to these opportunities to connect candidates with voters in their districts. Our member relations officers cover the entire state and stand ready to engage bankers and candidates.
Finally, TBA BankPac, the political action committee of the Texas Bankers Association, can contribute to pro-banking, pro-business candidates. TBA BankPac is at your disposal to help support candidates who believe in a free and competitive financial services environment. It is nonpartisan and works with candidates from both sides of the political aisle who are in alignment with TBA’s goals and values. TBA welcomes the opportuniy to deliver local BankPac checks and visit our members in their communities while connecting with local bankers and candidates.
While 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic taught us that we cannot know all that the future holds, one thing we can be sure of is that 2022 is a significant election year. Each of us must be engaged in that process. Bankers have a great story to tell — we must seize the opportunities in 2022 to share the good work you’ve been doing in your communities!