Western Banker July/August 2022

Message From WB President and CEO Stephen G. Andrews

Stephen G. Andrews President and CEO Western Bankers SAndrews@westernbankers.com

This 60-day period is especially intense for the government relations team as they advocate and negotiate measures impacting the banking industry.

Late Summer is Busy Time to Advocate on Your Behalf

A

s we enter the last few weeks of summer, the current economic turbulence and market condi tions make it especially critical for our industry

This 60-day period is especially intense for the govern ment relations team as they advocate and negotiate measures impacting the banking industry. Washington, D.C., Visit In addition to the California advocacy efforts, Kevin Gould, Executive Vice President & Director of Gov ernment Relations, and I recently traveled to Wash ington, D.C., to meet with members of the California Congressional Delegation to discuss several important issues impacting the banking industry. Topics included banking and climate change, cannabis banking, Central Bank Digital Currency, cryptocurrency, and ECORA. We had the pleasure to meet with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Reps. Young Kim, Michelle Steel, and Juan Vargas, as

to be laser-focused on advocacy efforts.

California’s legislators returned from their summer re cess August 1 and have 30 days to review thousands of legislative proposals before they recess for the Fall and midterm elections. We anticipate that many measures pending in the legislature will be amended in the fol lowing days and weeks, and our team will be vigilant in vetting measures and opposing changes that nega tively impact our industry. The Governor will have until September 30 to sign or veto the measures that are passed by the legislature.

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