Advocacy Update: Engage, Advocate, Lead: A Call to Action for Wisconsin’s Banking Industry
By Lorenzo Cruz
The fall elections are finally done and so is the onslaught of non-stop political TV ads. Enjoying the momentary reprieve from ads, we can expect to see another heavy barrage of political advertisements during the spring election for ideological control of the state supreme court.
There was a red wave that hit Wisconsin, but the state remains purple with a divided government. As predicted, the Legislature remains in the hands of the GOP under the new maps but with smaller majorities. The Assembly now has a 54-45 majority, and the Senate stands at an 18-15 majority with the East wing held by Democratic Governor Tony Evers.
At the federal level, President-elect Donald Trump and incumbent U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) defeated their respective opponents, Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency, and businessperson Eric Hovde for Senate by less than one percent. There were no surprises in the competitive U.S. Representatives races. Steil, Van Orden, and newcomer Wied replacing Gallagher won by sizable margins.
2025 marks the beginning of a new legislative session. We have 37 fresh faces to work with at the state capitol, six from the Senate and 31 in the Assembly. The caucuses in both chambers reelected their leaders: Assembly Speaker Vos, Assembly Minority Leader Neubauer, Senate Majority Leader LeMahieu, and Senate Minority Leader Hesselbein. Committee chairs and members will begin their legislative work after inauguration day in early January. The Governor’s State of the State address is set to occur later in the month.
Legislators will primarily focus on passing a version of the Governor’s state budget before July 4. With a reported $4 billion surplus, the debate will center on tax cuts, spending, education, health care, transportation, environment, and corrections. Meanwhile, there will be bills that legislators introduce and move through the legislative process which the WBA Government Relations team will be monitoring.
WBA’s team has been communicating with new and key legislators on WBA’s legislative priorities: interchange fees, taxes, ESG, Trust Code, credit unions, and artificial intelligence. Other policy issues revolve around banking modernization, privacy, merchant category codes, elder fraud, and SWIB investment risk.
As the WBA GR Team continues its advocacy efforts, I encourage bankers to remain engaged in political advocacy. WBA’s Advocacy Toolkits will go out in February, and I urge bank presidents/CEOs to work with their advocacy officer to launch their political fundraising campaign for the PAC and conduit early in the year to achieve Gold Triangle recognition for banks and Leadership Circle and Silver Triangle recognition for individual bankers. Other political fundraising events I ask bank leaders to get involved with are the issue advocacy event June 16–17 at Kohler and the PAC sporting clays event at Milford Hills on October 23.
On the grassroots side of advocacy, I urge all banks to send their Advocacy Officers and other employees to WBA’s Capitol Day on May 6 in Madison. It is a fantastic way for bankers to function as one unified voice and effectively lobby legislators and staff on banking issues impacting their communities back in their districts. Thank you all for supporting WBA’s advocacy efforts.
Cruz is WBA vice president – government relations.