Week of May 7

May 8, 2018

In This Issue…

• House set to pass S. 2155
• OBA, Oklahoma credit unions join forces, send letter concerning S. 2155
• 2018 OBA Convention coming in two weeks
• OBA Emerging Leaders joining in happy hour on May 10
• OBA education corner …

House set to pass S. 2155

This morning, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said in a press conference that a deal has been made to enact S. 2155 and to consider a number of separate bills to provide additional regulatory relief, primarily for traditional community banks.

“At last, at last,” OBA President and CEO Roger Beverage said. “We’ve been waiting for this chance for more than five years, and it can’t come soon enough. It appears as if our constant pushing on members has had its intended positive impact.

“In spite of what Sen. (Elizabeth) Warren says, this bill helps community banks, and will help millions of Americans. She was thought to be a friend – at least I thought she was a friend – but she’s not. The good news is her partisan approach hasn’t drawn a great number of followers, other than the usual suspects.”

Beverage noted that Speaker Ryan and Chairman Hensarling have been meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) over the recent break and apparently that’s when a deal was struck. You can read about it in today’s edition of the American Banker. Click here to read the article.

“Ryan said in his news conference that the bill will not be on the agenda this week,” Beverage said. “It does appear, however, that the earlier statements we reported about getting the bill out of the House this month may be fairly accurate. It will be a great celebration here, I can assure you, even if I’m the only one jumping up and down.”

OBA, Oklahoma credit unions join forces, send letter concerning S. 2155

The OBA and the Oklahoma Credit Union League have joined together to write to each member of the Oklahoma delegation asking them to do everything they can to help move S. 2155 through the U.S. House of Representatives.

“When we were there for our recent visits, we kept getting the same old message of being patient,” OBA President and CEO Roger Beverage said. “Today’s news is exciting and very, very encouraging – at least to me.

“We’ve been working on this bill for more than five years. While we are respectful of the delegation’s counsel to ‘be patient,’ patience has been waning over the last year or so, and especially since S. 2155 came to the House for consideration. It’s time to move this bill forward, take the points and live to fight hard in the second half for more. It sounds like that’s what is likely to happen, and I could not be more pleased or excited.”

To read the letter, click here.

2018 OBA Convention coming in two weeks!

The 2018 OBA Annual Convention & Trade Show is coming soon, set for May 21-23 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Catoosa.

This year’s convention theme is “Answer the C.A.L.L. (community/advocacy/leadership/legacy).
Lt. Col. Robert Darling, a retired member of the U.S. Marine Corps., who served in the first Gulf War and supported the president in the President’s Emergency Operations Center on 9/11, will give the keynote speech on May 22.

Darling is just one of many speakers presenting at this year’s convention, which will include author Will Bowen, representatives from The Baker Group, Hunton & Williams and Crowe & Dunlevy, among others.

For more information and to register, click here for the Convention brochure. Click here for the Convention Golf Tournament brochure. Questions? Contact the education department at the OBA at (405) 424-5252.

OBA Emerging Leaders joining in happy hour on May 10

Calling all OBA Emerging Leaders! Join your banking peers and some other friends in finance for a happy hour in partnership with the Young Accounting Professionals from the Oklahoma Society of CPAs from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, at The Jones Assembly located at 901 W. Sheridan Ave. in Oklahoma City.

You can register for this get-together by clicking here or RSVP to Alisa Loper at aloper@oscpa.com. For more information, contact the OBA’s Megan McGuire at megan@oba.com or 405-424-5252.

OBA education corner …

The OBA Convention is in two weeks (have you registered yet?), but it’s not the only thing taking place over the next few weeks! Take note of the following:

Introduction to ACH: The Basics, May 15, webinar — The ACH Basics and Overview is designed as an introduction to ACH processing.
Critical Issues on CDs, May 17, webinar — Let’s look at our CD rules, procedures and ownership issues that may need to be revamped.
Call Reports: RC-C Loan Coding and Related RC-R Reporting, May 18, webinar — Loan information on the Call Report provides critical credit information for regulators, especially in today’s environment.
Common Pitfalls of ARM Disclosures, May 22, webinar — Many financial institutions have automated the ARM disclosure process, but violations still occur.
New BSA Officer Training, May 24, webinar — You have been appointed the new Bank Secrecy Officer for your bank. You now feel like a deer caught in the headlights–what to do, where to start, who can help?
Bank Call Report Preparation for Beginners: Five-Part Series, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, webinars — Designed for bankers new to call report preparation, this series will cover basic reporting requirements, operational schedules, loan schedules, maturity and repricing, and Basel III risk based capital, plus recent accounting changes affecting the Call Report.