Pub. 4 2014 Issue 3

17 SUMMER 2014 T H E LAST DAY OF ARIZONA’S 2014 LEGISLATIVE SESSION ALREADY SEEMS TO BE PART OF THE DIS- TANT PAST. WE HAVE celebrated our legislative victories, of which there were many including big victories on anti-deficiency legisla- tion, derivatives, and UCC. We have breathed a sigh of relief that the bank- ing industry escaped another legislative session unscathed. The economic recession and the resulting foreclosures have made banks an unfair target of poor public policy, but the Association and its allies have defeated every one of these potentially damaging proposals. The Annual End of Session report has been delivered and the Arizona Bank- ers Association Annual Conference has come and gone. But the work is never done. The flip side of the coin in politics and lobbying is elections. 2014 is a big election year in Arizona. All ninety leg- islators and all the top statewide offices will be up for grabs. A new Governor will be elected and the Speaker’s chair in the House will be vacant. For those that watch elections closely, this will be an exciting election to watch as it is the first election since the very contentious issue of Medicaid expansion split the Republican caucuses. Shifting Gears From Legislation to Elections By JAY KAPROSY, Veridus, Director A successful legislative strategy starts with identifying, educating, and sup- porting high quality legislators. After all, these are the men and women who will deliberate on legislation and cast the votes that will mean success or failure. In fact, the most important part of an elections strategy is educating future legislators about the issues they will face if and when they are elected. Arizona prides itself on having a citizen Legisla- ture. Arizona legislators are: ranchers, realtors, small businesspersons, bus driv- ers, lawyers and everything in between. They can’t be expected to be an expert on every issue. How many average peo- ple understand the regulatory demands of Dodd-Frank? How many understand the foreclosure or tax lien sale pro- cesses? Of course, the answer is very few. That is why your Arizona Bankers Association and its contract lobbyists at Veridus are out meeting with candidates and letting them know the issues that are important to banking. We are mak- ing ourselves available as a resource for legislators seeking to learn more. While many complain that there is too much money in politics, it is a necessity in order for a quality candidate to make their voice heard and deliver their message to voters. Organizations that financially support high qual- ity candidates are carrying out a civic responsibility. The banking industry is impacted by so many areas of public policy that it behooves the industry to support candidates that demonstrate a strong character, a willingness and abil- ity to listen, and a dedication to doing what is in the best interest of Arizona. One of the easiest ways to support a strong well-informed electorate is to sup- port the Arizona Bankers Association PAC. Voting will begin when early ballots for the Primary Election are mailed out on July 31st for the August 26th pri- mary election. General election voting will begin when early ballots are mailed out for the November 4th General Elec- tion. w