Beyond the Branch: Wisconsin Bankers Advocate at the State Capitol

By Elizabeth Fenton, WBA Communications Coordinator

On a cold February morning in Madison, 250 bankers braved brisk winds and the familiar bottleneck of John Nolen Drive construction to gather at Monona Terrace. Lenders, retail staff, and executives alike convened to discuss topics larger than their own branch: customers, small businesses, crypto kiosks, and seniors targeted by scams.

The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) hosts Capitol Day every year — a day that serves as a reminder that banking is shaped by public policy. The day offers something invaluable to legislators who have never worked in banking: real-world stories.

Bankers from every corner of the state traveled to meet with 31 State Senate offices and 71 State Assembly offices, and shared firsthand stories about how legislative decisions affect financial access, fraud prevention, housing, and economic growth across Wisconsin’s counties.

WBA encouraged bankers of every role and tenure to attend, recognizing that the industry’s full story is best told through a diversity of experiences. Matthew Peterson, Branch Manager at Horicon Bank, testified to how seamless the day felt. “I was a little nervous going in — meeting with members of our state legislature and having only about three-and-a-half years in banking made it feel a bit intimidating at first. WBA did an outstanding job organizing the day and preparing us for every step.”

Preparing Bankers to Be Advocates

The morning sessions equipped attendees with context for the day that followed. Bankers heard from the Capitol Insiders panel, received a government relations update from WBA’s government relations team, and divided into district-based groups before heading to the Capitol.
Peterson noted that the morning debriefs gave him confidence for the sessions that followed. “They provided clear talking points, set up all the meetings with our legislators, and made sure we knew exactly what to expect. All we really needed to do was show up and explain how the proposed bills would impact the customers we work with every day.”

That philosophy — to share real-world, everyday anecdotes about neighbors, friends, and customers — propelled the day’s narrative. Public policy often feels nebulous until tied to a lived experience: your neighbor’s savings lost to fraud, your son unable to purchase his first home, your favorite hometown restaurant unable to expand. Policymakers ultimately remember these personal discussions.

The Capitol Insiders Panel

The day opened with a bipartisan discussion featuring former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen and former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, moderated by WisPolitics President Jeff Mayers.

Each speaker brought perspectives from both sides of the aisle but shared a common thread: policy outcomes improve when stakeholders participate.

Alex Swanson, WBA BOLT board member noted, “In somewhat surprising fashion, both speakers agreed on more issues than expected — though they still expressed their own take and perspectives on the other side’s viewpoints.”

The panel exemplified a core truth behind Capitol Day: expertise speaks louder than partisanship. Legislators cannot create effective financial policy without understanding how banking works in practice.

Bankers Take on the Capitol

Bankers crossed the street from Monona Terrace, leaving behind the frozen expanse of Lake Monona for the soaring dome of the State Capitol, where small district-based groups met with their respective legislators throughout the afternoon.

These meetings pushed key WBA priorities for the legislative session.

Protecting Customers from Fraud

Fraud prevention dominated conversations. Bankers emphasized how they often serve as the last line of defense against scam attempts, especially for older adults.

WBA is supporting legislation that would allow financial institutions to pause suspicious transactions involving vulnerable adults — a delay that could help prevent irreversible and devastating financial loss while authorities investigate.

Wisconsin bankers also advocated for the regulation of virtual currency kiosks — machines often located at gas stations, grocery stores, laundromats, and bus stations — which serve as popular vehicles of fraud. Bankers explained that crypto kiosks are favored by bad actors because they can uniquely facilitate instant, untraceable, and irreversible transfers of money. WBA is advocating for licensing, warnings, and transaction limits, as some studies show that up to 90% of transactions at some kiosks involve fraud.

Bankers brought real stories to illustrate the urgency of fraud — like customers calling their bank a day after wiring away their life savings, or families discovering fraud weeks after it occurred.

Swanson emphasized the importance of those conversations.

“Much of what WBA and bankers across the state are focused on relates to fraud prevention and protecting our customers. We have firsthand experience and many stories of fraud impacting our communities.”

The Impact of Wisconsin Bankers

WBA distributed an Impact Brochure that showcased the industry’s accomplishments. Over the past year, banks around the state have lent $10.7 billion in small business loans supporting local entrepreneurs, $756 million to small farms, and $12.8 billion in new home loans.
What’s more: Wisconsin banks employ 32,323 employees statewide who have collectively volunteered 517,000 hours and donated $43.5 million to local and philanthropic initiatives.

Public trust in community banks remains strong: Nine in ten consumers say their bank proactively protects them from fraud. It’s safe to say that customers regard their local bank as critical infrastructure in their communities.

Peterson described how quickly advocacy points turned conversational and candid: “The representatives and their staff were warm,welcoming, and genuinely interested in hearing our perspectives. It was a fantastic experience, and I hope to be able to attend next year.”

The Power of the Collective Voice

The most effective advocacy occurs when legislators remember the faces in their district — the bankers who explained how a law will have real-world effects on the working people in their neighborhoods. Attendees discussed hot button topics — why a pause to prevent fraud is necessary, why regulatory complexity raises costs, why credit availability depends on policy, how community banks support their communities — and paired those issues with real-world anecdotes about their colleagues and neighbors.

These valuable stories are at the crux of why WBA invites all banking professionals — regardless of title or advocacy experience — to attend Capitol Day. Retail staff, lenders, compliance officers, and C-suite executives all bring different viewpoints that collectively speak to the power of community banking.

As Swanson concluded, “It was a great day. I would highly recommend making time for this event if you haven’t had the chance to
attend before.”