Banker Beauprez Gets CUBacking

DENVER - (11/01/04) -- What a difference two years makes.In what turned out to be the closest congressional race in thecountry in 2002, credit unions lined up behind former HouseMinority Leader, Democrat Mike Feeley, while the banks threw theirsupport to Republican Bob Beauprez, the CEO of Heritage Bank, whowon the race by a mere 121 votes. This time the credit unions havethrown in with Beauprez, who has expressed his support on a numberof financial services issues, like regulatory relief and bankruptcyreform. The community banker has even expressed his support for thecredit union tax exemption--on condition that credit unions don't"stray from their charter." "We've had several meetings with himsince then (the last elections) and he's shown a willingness towork together with us on a number of issues," Jane Willard, alobbyist for the Colorado CU League, told The Credit Union Journal,of the league's decision to endorse the freshman congressman in hisbid for reelection.