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As federal funding disappears, communities across the country are taking control of their public dollars by creating public banks that serve local needs. Join us for a landmark national discussion  featuring Senator Elizabeth Warren and leading voices in the public banking movement. Wednesday, November 19, 202512 PM PT / 3 PM ETRegister: bit.ly/PBC2C Panelists:Trinity Tran, Executive Director, California Public Banking Alliance and Public Bank LADr. Terri Friedline, Associate Professor, University of MichiganDeyanira Del Río, Executive Director, New Economy CoalitionRei Fielder, Steering Committee, Massachusetts Public BankingLinda Levy, Board Member and former CEO of Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union Moderated by David Cobb, Special Advisor, The Democracy Collaborative Attendees are invited to submit questions for the panelists when registering via Zoom. Sponsored byCalifornia Public Banking Alliance · Massachusetts Public Banking · New Economy Project · Public Bank...

Big news! Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Heather Hutt just stepped up with discretionary funds to support the LA public bank plan. With 9 Councilmembers on board, a majority now supports the public bank plan. This growing support signals real momentum behind a plan to cut borrowing costs, reduce Wall Street fees, and reinvest public dollars into affordable housing, small businesses, and climate-ready infrastructure. Huge thanks to the Council champions who’ve helped move this forward: Eunisses Hernandez, Bob Blumenfield, Nithya Raman, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Curren Price, Hugo Soto-Martínez, and Ysabel Jurado. The motion passed the Government Operations Committee (Sept 5, 2025) and Budget & Finance Committee (Oct 7, 2025) — all eyes are now on the full Council vote. We need the remaining Council offices to step up and contribute their discretionary funds — and we need the Council President to agendize the vote. 👉 Send a one-click email now to urge Council action. Let’s get...

NCSA’s Lisa Hart facilitates a Zoom presentation and discussion with Public Bank LA’s FInance Director Dan Pelegero. Watch the recording on YouTube: Dan Pelegero, finance director of Public Bank LA, joined us for a conversation about how public banks work, how one here could help fund efforts to make our city sustainable, and how we can work to bring one to LA.

What if LA’s money worked for LA? At Destination Crenshaw‘s panel, Public Bank LA’s Finance Director Dan Pelegero and Destination Crenshaw’s Executive Director Jason Foster joined Anna Maria Cruz of Self-Help Credit Union and Oscar Perry Abello, journalist and author of “The Banks We Deserve.” Who decides what’s “creditworthy”? And what would it look like if LA had a public bank that actually invested in housing, small businesses, cultural projects, anti-displacement strategies, and rebuilding after disasters? The panel broke down how cities manage public funds today, what gets left out when Wall Street calls the shots, and how a public bank could anchor long-term investments in our communities. Beyond banking, we’re working to build an economy centered in art, culture, resilience, and equity.

Big wins for LA. Read our latest newsletter! The Public Bank motion cleared committee, and 7 councilmembers including Council President Harris-Dawson, are now putting funds behind it! We just dropped our new State Bank brief, and later this month we’re at Destination Crenshaw for a community talk on money, power, and banking. Public Bank Motion Passes Government Operations Committee! The public bank motion passed at the September 5th Special Meeting of the Government Operations Committee at LA City Hall, chaired by Councilmember Imelda Padilla with Councilmembers Ysabel Jurado and John Lee. Huge thanks to the committee for their leadership and support. Next stop: Budget & Finance! View and download our Committee Fact Sheet. Public Bank LA’s Executive Director Trinity Tran and Move LA’s Executive Director Eli Lipmen presented the case for why LA must explore a public bank and create a permanent pool of capital to support city needs, especially as budgets tighten and...