Community Bankers of Michigan (CBM) is the only statewide association solely dedicated to the preservation of community banks in Michigan. CBM is aligned with the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) nationally.
One Mission: Community Banks.
The Issue
Not all banks are alike. Not in Michigan, not across the nation, and certainly not on Wall Street.
Community Banks have very distinct and unique needs.
The 2008 financial crisis brought to the forefront the differences between community banks, Wall Street banks and super regionals.
Regulations are being imposed on all banks without sensitivity to the unique position of community banks.
Michigan adopted a Term Limit Constitutional Amendment in 1992. Since then, state House members are limited to three, two-year terms, and Senate members to two, four-year terms, along with the Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General. These limitations hinder developing long-term relationships given the short stays in Lansing of today’s elected state lawmakers.
CBM Advocacy, Grassroots, and PAC
Through the combined efforts of CBM and Government Consultant Services, Inc. (GCSI), community banks now have their own separate voice, and it is clearly heard both at the national and state levels.
GCSI has served the CBM as its guide through the legislative process since 2008.
GCSI was first established in 1983 by former Democratic Speaker of the House Bobby Crim and former Republican Senate Majority Leader Robert VanderLaan and was Michigan’s first bipartisan lobbying firm. Over the course of more than three decades, GCSI has developed and maintained a reputation for top-shelf political advocacy, working closely with the Executive and Legislative branches of Michigan state government.
GCSI has been able to introduce the CBM and their members to a broad array of policy makers.
GCSI keeps a watchful eye on the day-to-day issues at the State Capitol so CBM has peace of mind of knowing that if a law is going to be changed or there is legislation introduced that could impact banking in Michigan, CBM and community bankers will know about it.
CBM does not have to dedicate its own staff to spend time at the State Capitol day in and day out. GCSI does this for CBM and is in a position to immediately address issues as they come up. More importantly our members do not have to support a full-time lobbying staff while still getting the best possible representation in Lansing.
Through the myriad of relationships GCSI has built with lawmakers, they can quickly learn the reasons behind legislative proposals and act in the best interest of community bankers. GCSI has been recognized as the top lobbying firm in Michigan since 2004.
Community bankers who are making loans, accepting deposits, serving their communities and meeting all of today’s compliance demands don’t have the extra time to be involved in the intricacies of the legislative process.
With the assistance of GCSI, community bankers have gained access to legislators, regulators, and policy makers who will listen and work to understand how their policy decisions impact local banks, communities, businesses, and homeowners, all of which serves to strengthen the community bank franchise.
Political Action Committees (PAC) are another important component in the legislative relationship building process. The existence of a PAC makes your presence known both legislatively as well as politically. Through the Community Bankers PAC, we can support legislators who are open to the concerns of CBM and attend their fundraisers to show that legislator support is vital to our franchise.
With your help in 2019, we can continue to make sure that the voices of community bankers in the state of Michigan are heard in Lansing. What we accomplish today will have lasting effects on our communities and our industry.
