Credit Union Champions Added to List of Retiring Legislators

Posted by Joe Adamack on March 6, 2024

When writing last week about the growing list of state lawmakers that will conclude their legislative service at the end of this year, we noted that more were still expected, and some significant credit union champions have since indicated this will also be their last session.

Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig of Spokane, Sen. Lynda Wilson of Vancouver, and Sen. Karen Keiser of Des Moines also shared this final week of session that they too would not run for re-election in 2024. Each of these leaders played a major role in passing credit union priorities at the Legislature.

Sen. Billig has served for 14 years in the state House and Senate where he has been the chamber’s top-ranking leader since the 2019 legislative session. During that time, he focused on improving public education policy and funding, strengthening campaign finance laws, and bringing significant infrastructure funding back to Spokane. As Senate Majority Leader he worked closely with credit unions to advance multiple credit union priority bills and despite being one of the busiest state officials always made himself available to connect with credit union constituents.

Sen. Lynda Wilson will leave after serving 10 years in the Legislature, mostly in the Senate, where she most recently served as the Senate Republican budget leader focused on tax relief and building a strong state economy. She has sponsored multiple credit union priority bills including a 2019 modernization of the state charter and legislation allowing credit unions to accept public deposits and previously received the Community Impact Award from Washington Credit Unions for her work.

Sen. Karen Keiser leaves the Legislature as the longest-serving member having joined the state House in 1995 before moving to the Senate in 2001. Keiser has been a leader on a wide range of health care and employment issues and has a spectacular record of support on many priority credit union bills. Keiser even recently published a book titled “Getting Elected is the Easy Part” as a guidebook for effective legislating. Keiser has served in a variety of chair roles and has been the Senate Pro Tempore since 2018.

Each of these leaders have been tremendous supporters of Washington credit unions and played a role in the operating environment available today by helping to modernize powers and authorities that help meet the financial needs of members and communities.

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Washington Advocacy.