JEFFERSON CITY, Mo – The Missouri Bankers Young Leadership Division spent time at the capitol today to discuss issues important to the association. Adam Trower chairman of the Young Bankers Leadership Division and Vice President of Community State Bank in Bowling Green and three other members of the leadership division sat down with The Missouri Times to discuss these issues.
About 40 bankers were at the capitol including bankers, tellers and IT staff among others.
“The Missouri bankers is the overall organization, young bankers leadership devision is an off shoot,” Trower said.
To qualify as a member of the Young Bankers Leadership Division, one must be an employee of one of the 299 banks in Missouri that are part of the Bankers Association, as well as be under the age of 45.
The group that started with 100 members has been participating in making a yearly visit to the capitol for the better part of the last six years in order to, “Promote the issues around young bankers, meet with legislators, and discuss the issues of the bankers to legislators,” Trower said.
In particular the young bankers met with Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Frankford, Sen. Brian Munzlinger, Rep. Tony Dugger, R-Hartville, and State Treasurer Clint Zweifel. Kelly Richards, who works at Community State Bank in Bowling Green, spoke on the visit.
“They seemed interested in what we had to say; it seemed like they took to heart what we had to say,” Richards said.
“This is an important part of our process, as bankers you don’t realize that political process effects us and more importantly effect our customers,” Trower said.
There are 10 bills that concern the Missouri Bankers Young Leadership Division, including House Bill 1769 sponsored by Rep. Paul Curtman, R-Pacific.
The Missouri Bankers Young Leadership Division opposes this bill that calls for Missouri political subdivisions rated A or better to be sold through the public sales process, and greatly reduces community banks’ ability to have access to purchase bonds from the low bidder.
“We invest heavily in local bonds, so for us this hits close to home,” Trower said. “Having to go through the biding that kind of leaves us out of the process. For us as community bankers is different than the big banks, we are advocating for banking but we are also advocating for small business.”
The Young Bankers Leadership Division is also opposed to House Bill 1769 and it’s counterpart Senate Bill 705. The bills that the young bankers are in favor of are Rep. Stanley Cox’s, R-Sedalia, House Bill 1376 and 1374, Dugger’s bills 1218 and 1918, and Rep. Bill Lant’s, R-Pineville, bill 1270.
