In a joint CU Broadcast interview at the recent REACH 2025 conference, California’s Credit Unions and Nevada’s Credit Unions Senior Vice President of State Advocacy Robert Wilson and Senior Vice President of Federal Advocacy Stephanie Cuevas highlighted the role of storytelling in achieving legislative victories and managing political challenges, including the federal government shutdown.
They said effective advocacy relies on the ability to translate complex legislative proposals into real-world impact.
On the federal side, Cuevas shared how rapid mobilization protected a key industry asset. During discussions on tax reform in U.S. Congress, the credit union tax exemption was placed on a list of programs for potential modification. The California and Nevada leagues responded by activating their membership, resulting in over 350,000 letters sent from credit union members in those states to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
“That mobilization resulted in a bipartisan letter that said, ‘Don’t Tax Credit Unions’,” Cuevas said, demonstrating the immense grassroots power of the movement.
Advocacy efforts were also important during the recent federal government shutdown. Using Project Zip Code (PZC) data, the California and Nevada leagues identified impacted federal workers and compiled a list of relief products offered by nearly 100 credit unions across both states’ footprint — including very low-interest or no-interest loans, and deferred payments. The leagues immediately sent this information to every member of Congress.
Wilson and Cuevas both advised credit unions to routinely invite legislators to community events like the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) events, backpack drives, or even “Bite of Reality” financial simulations hosted in partnership with the Richard Myles Johnson Foundation to make sure lawmakers are aware of credit unions’ community impact.
Wilson also discussed the looming political changes in California, noting that the outcome of Proposition 50 is the “elephant in the room” and is expected to trigger significant changes in congressional and state legislative districts. This shift demands that the California league remains nimble to adapt to the new political landscape and emerging legislative leadership.
Overall, “We were able to prevail on a lot of pieces of legislation this year,” Wilson said, noting the challenges posed by state legislatures in Sacramento and Carson City, as well as the U.S. Congress. “We were able to talk to legislators and members of Congress directly about how their pieces of legislation were going to negatively impact their constituency.”
