A Massachusetts bill meant to discourage mutual thrifts in from converting to stock ownership could have the opposite effect, according to bankers and trade groups.

State-chartered banks in Illinois could stage "mass conversions" to federal charters if the governor's plan to raise examination fees is signed into law, according to trade group officials.

Consumer bankers in Texas are hoping the state's Democratic lawmakers end their much-publicized walkout soon.

A recent change in Tennessee law that reduces the waiting period for start-up banks to sell themselves could open up acquisition opportunities for out-of-state banks looking to bulk up in the Memphis and Nashville markets.

Indiana lawmakers have ap-proved a bill that would ban the use of banks' names in marketing materials without the banks' permission, and Wisconsin bankers are pushing for similar legislation there.

Americans borrowed a record $256 billion against the value of their homes last year, but Texas banks - and homeowners - largely missed out on the boom because the state's laws on home equity lending are by far the strictest.

Bank robbers in Massachusetts will have more time to contemplate their crimes if a bill being pushed by the Massachusetts Bankers Association becomes law.

Add Oregon to the growing list of states considering a tax on credit unions.

Financial services companies entered the year in a high state of anxiety about their ability to freely share credit data and engage in some basic transactions nationwide.

The Credit Union Journal

Bankers in Nevada are up in arms about the governor's proposed revenue tax for businesses - even those that post losses.

New Mexico bankers are backing a proposal by the new governor that they say would stimulate the state's technology economy and steer more high-tech customers their way.

The Maryland Department of Financial Regulation expects legislation to be introduced this week in the General Assembly that would increase its funding and re-sources and, it hopes, better prepare it for an Allfirst-like debacle.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act apparently did not go far enough to suit California lawmakers.