Three out of this state's four congressman turned out for the Idaho Credit Union League's state governmental affairs conference at the Grove Hotel, which attracted more than 70 people.
Members of the Idaho congressional delegation addressed issues ranging from the USA Patriot Act to Bankruptcy Reform Legislation. Sen. Larry Craig, Sen. Mike Crapo, and Rep. Mike Simpson each spoke for about 15 minutes and answered questions from the audience.
Gretchen Graf, grassroots manager from CUNA, shared thoughts on effectively communicating with legislators, and emphasized the need for 100% participation in CUNA"s Project Zip Code. During the morning session of this conference, East Idaho Credit Union Board Member Ken Fielding addressed the importance of political involvement by credit union volunteers.
At a Legislative Luncheon held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Historic Hoff Building, across the street from Idaho's Statehouse, more than 60 state legislators joined the credit union folks from their districts for lunch and a briefing from local economist John Church. Also in attendance at the luncheon was a representative from the office of Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and Gavin Gee, director of the Idaho Department of Finance.
Lt. Gov. James Risch spoke about the current legislative session and issues ahead for the state, while Dr. James Weatherby, political analyst and expert on public policy from Boise State University, shared information from a survey on political trends and addressed the media's impact on Idaho politics.
