OR Credit Unions Testify During November Legislative Days

Posted by Pam Leavitt on November 19, 2025

Testimony on Protecting Members from Financial Fraud and Scams

The Oregon Interim Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held a hearing on Tuesday on “Financial Scam Protection.” GoWest Credit Union Association testified along with Nick Dolman, Fraud Manager, OnPoint Community Credit Union. He provided a great overview of how OnPoint is committed to educating and supporting members when it comes to financial fraud, and in his verbal testimony he stated, “we work with our members to respond to hundreds of scams each month that result in anything from small withdrawals to six-figure wire transfer attempts. Scams exploit trust and urgency, often targeting seniors, new digital users, and young people. The most common scams we see include impersonation through phone, text, or email; online marketplace or relationship scams; and fraudulent checks and wire transfers.”

The GoWest written testimony stated, “protecting members’ private information is critically important for credit unions and can pose strict legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements. Federal laws like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and related regulations mandate that credit unions safeguard the confidentiality and security of members’ nonpublic personal information, restrict unauthorized sharing with third parties, and provide members with annual privacy notices explaining how their information will be used and protected. But most importantly, respecting member privacy is foundational to maintaining trust between credit unions and their members.”

You can view the testimony submitted from GoWest HERE.

Hearing on Homeowners Insurance

TK Keen testified before the House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness. With the increase of wildfire destruction in our state, the Legislature wanted to understand what that is doing to home insurance.  Some of his key findings include:

• Over 100 companies writing homeowner’s insurance in Oregon
• Signs of market tightening through latest data we have, 2018-2022
• FAIR Plan (market of last resort) numbers remain relatively stable
• Reinsurance is costing companies more and limiting system capacity •
• Average premium is growing at a rate higher than the consumer price index (CPI). •
• Total losses and average losses per claim are trending upward, with a spike in 2020 driven by wildfires. •
• The leading driver of non-renewals and cancellations is nonpayment.

His presentation can be found HERE.

House District 51 (Canby) Has a New Legislator

House Republicans welcomed Matt Bunch to the House Republican Caucus following his successful bid for House District 51. Born and raised in eastern Oregon, and an alumnus of Oregon State University, Bunch built an  career in insurance and financial management, while also giving back to his community as a development officer for the Oregon FFA Foundation and a bus driver for the Oregon City School District. He has deep ties to Clackamas County.

Capitol Rotunda is Open

The Oregon Capitol is starting to open more areas, and we expect by next February during our Legislative Luncheon several areas to be open after three years of Construction. Holidays at the Capitol are back and our beautiful rotunda is decorated and welcoming visitors!

Updates

Finally, the Oregon House had a celebration of life for Rep. Hoa Nguyen who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 31. It was a moving ceremony and difficult day in the Capitol. The very next day we learned that Rep. Annessa Hartman is beginning her battle with cervical cancer. We are sending her our thoughts as she begins her treatment.

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Oregon Advocacy.