California Public Banking Alliance

21/08/2026

This November, San Francisco voters decide on a public bank, a city-owned institution that could manage public funds and issue loans for affordable housing, green energy, and small businesses that commercial banks often pass on. If it passes, SF becomes the first city in the US to operate one.

Tune in as they break down what it is, how it could work, and what's at stake!

🎙️ Guests: Misha Steier (SF Public Bank), Alyce McFadden (San Francisco Chronicle)

We'll dive into what a public bank is and how it might work in San Francisco.

06/08/2026

Rick Girling, Vice Chair of the California Public Banking Alliance and member of the SF Public Bank, wrote this letter to the Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle in response to an op-ed they published. Setting up a public bank in SF make perfect sense as it will provide a means to fund affordable housing, climate mitigation and small businesses that are struggling to survive. Full text below:

Public bank makes sense

Regarding “Why the case for an S.F. public bank makes no sense,” (Opinion/Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, July 18): Evidently, author Prasad Krishnamurthy believes that there is plenty of affordable housing in San Francisco and there is no need to find funds to finance climate crisis actions or get small businesses back on their feet. He claims there are plenty of ways that the city can finance these needs, so why hasn't the mayor utilized all of his terrific ideas?

It is exactly in these situations where a public bank can come to the rescue. There is a reason why Bank of America and Citibank have such huge profits ($30.5 billion and $14.3 billion in 2025). Banking is a very profitable business.

California’s Public Banking Act, authored by then-Assemblymember and current S.F. City Attorney David Chiu, authorizes local governments such as San Francisco to establish public banks, subject to state and federal regulatory approval. Such a bank would enable San Franciscans to invest in our city for affordable housing, climate mitigation, and small business support and to return its profits to S.F. rather than shipping that money away to finance fossil fuel expansion and reward overpaid executives.

Rick Girling, San Francisco

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/letterstotheeditor/article/ai-student-school-college-essay-22356081.php

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Chronicle readers comment on AI use in college application essays, public banking, affordable housing and moving Ruth Asawa School of the Arts into vacant mall.

29/07/2026

Faye Wilson Kennedy with Poor People's Campaign, Sacramento brought the conversation back to who gets left out when Wall Street decides where California's money goes: renters, homeowners, transit riders, and communities that have waited decades for real investment.

A state bank changes who the money serves. Affordable housing. Public transit. Communities Wall Street has never prioritized, finally first in line instead of last!

29/07/2026

Dawn Basciano, Vice President, of Women Democrats of Sacramento County Women Democrats of Sacramento County, made the case at our Sacramento gathering: a state bank isn't a niche policy, it's a tool that touches almost everything. Small business lending. Community reinvestment. Dollars that stay in California instead of padding Wall Street's profits.

When public money works for the public, it shows up everywhere from the women-owned businesses that get funded, the neighborhoods that get reinvested in, and the people who can finally benefit from their own tax dollars.

29/07/2026

California is the 4th largest economy on Earth yet we still pay billions in interest and fees to Wall Street banks and private investors.

North Dakota's economy is 1/50th the size of California's. Its state bank has been profitable every year since 1919 and returned $335M to the state last year alone.

CPBA’s Exec Director Trinity Tran laid out exactly why that needs to change now at our Sacramento community gathering.

California needs to manage its money cost effectively by keeping our money here in our state bank. Time to bring it home!

29/07/2026

Teachers can't teach in the districts they can't afford to live in. Tristan Brown of CFT - A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals - California Federation of Teachers, representing over 120,000 teachers & educational employees across California, laid out how workforce housing keeps stalling due to financing gaps traditional banks won't touch. A public bank can make bridge loans to get those projects moving.

There's something powerful about teachers leading this fight. The people who show up for our kids every day are the same people telling Sacramento where our public money should actually go!

This is what "public money for public good" looks like: capital built to serve the workforce California depends on, not sitting on the sidelines waiting for private lenders to see the upside.

29/07/2026

As Dr. Flojaune Cofer says, public health and public banking aren't separate fights. Flo, an epidemiologist and leader with Sacramento Climate Coalition, made that case at our Sacramento gathering, connecting the dots between where our money goes and the health outcomes in our communities, especially with drastic federal cuts. When capital is redirected toward affordable housing, climate resilience, and community investment instead of Wall Street returns, that's a public health strategy!

A California State Bank isn't just about finance. It's about what we choose to fund, and who gets to stay healthy because of it.

27/07/2026

Standing room only in 93°+ degree heat at our Public Banking Community Gathering in Sacramento and the room stayed packed. That's what public banking momentum looks like!

Huge thanks to our speakers Tristan Brown (CFT - A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals), Dawn Basciano (Women Democrats of Sacramento County), Dr. Flojaune Cofer (Sacramento Climate Coalition), Faye Wilson Kennedy (Poor People's Campaign, Sacramento, and CPBA’s Trinity Tran for breaking down why California needs a publicly owned bank, and to our dozen co-hosts CFT, Women Democrats of Sacramento County, Sacramento Climate Coalition, 350 Sacramento, Third Act: Sacramento, Indivisible Sacramento, Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS), Coalition Against Project 2025, The Greenlining Institute, and End Poverty in California for helping make this happen. Sacramento showed up for their communities by demanding to keep our public dollars local.

The state bank campaign keeps making progress. More soon!

Stay tuned for speaker video clips!

15/07/2026

Join us in Sacramento on July 23rd to talk about building a state bank that puts California's money to work for California communities!

Right now, California pays private banks billions in fees and interest to manage public money, money that could instead be building affordable housing, funding small businesses, and investing directly in our communities.

Come hear what a California State Bank could mean for Sacramento and the state, where things stand at the Capitol, and how you can get involved.

Speakers:
- Tristan Brown, Legislative Director, CFT
- Dawn Basciano, VP, Women Democrats of Sacramento County
- Dr. Flojaune Cofer, Leader, Sacramento Climate Coalition
- Faye Wilson Kennedy, Lead Organizer, Sacramento Poor People's Campaign
- Trinity Tran, Executive Director, California Public Banking Alliance

Light refreshments + shaved ice with organic nectarine purée!

Space is limited! RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/public-money-for-public-good-a-community-gathering-tickets-1993757010890?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Co-hosts: CFT - A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals, Women Democrats Of Sacramento County, Sacramento Climate Coalition, 350 Sacramento, Third Act: Sacramento, Indivisible Sacramento, Environmental Council of Sacramento, Coalition Against Project 2025, Poor People's Campaign, Sacramento, The Greenlining Institute, End Poverty in California, and California Public Banking Alliance

10/07/2026

CPBA's Executive Director Trinity Tran joins Shelterforce's Laboratories of Democracy national panel to talk public banking and the state & local policies moving the needle on housing and community investment right now:

"Nobody thinks their tax dollars should be making Jamie Dimon richer while our streets are crumbling and our neighborhoods are deteriorating."

There's a lot that can be done to advance housing and community investment at the local and state level. This is the perfect moment to do it.