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Assemblymember Matt Haney led two back-to-back hearings on the California State Bank. In the Assembly Banking Committee, he was joined by our expert witnesses, including Jennifer Finger of the California Public Banking Alliance, who testified in support of AB 2243. A retired banker with over 35 years of experience across institutions like Bank of America, community banks, and Beneficial State Bank, she brought deep industry insight to the discussion. The bill passed out of the Assembly Banking Committee on April 23, following its passage out of the Assembly Economic Development Committee on April 14. Public Bank LA’s Trinity Tran led the coalition efforts for the Earth Day launch at the State Capitol on April 22. Speakers included Assemblymember Matt Haney, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, Trinity Tran, Michael Tubbs, Max Vargas, Tristan Brown, and Dr. Flojaune Cofer. Read the press release: https://haney.asmdc.org/press-releases/20260422-california-launches-state-public-bank-effort-keep-taxpayer-dollars-out-wall Read...

Corporate monopolies don’t just control what we buy — they control the infrastructure that connects and sustains our communities. But people are fighting back. We’re thrilled to be part of “The Corporate Power of It All,” a special edition from Liberation in a Generation and The Forge. In the conversation, Public Bank LA’s Trinity Tran breaks down how communities are organizing for public banking and building alternatives to corporate control. The tools to win are already in our hands. Read the article here.

Steve Dubbs with Shelterforce interviews Public Bank LA’s Trinity Tran and Dan Pelegero. As federal funding streams face cuts, the idea of public banks is gaining ground as a tool for states and localities to finance community development. Trinity and Dan are part of a national conversation in Shelterforce with public banking leaders across the country. The piece highlights how the California Public Banking Alliance is building a public financial ecosystem, public banks to finance community priorities, alongside CalAccount to ensure people can actually access it. Read the article here.

Angelenos Turn Out for Public Banking We’re so excited about the turnout for our Los Angeles public banking listening session at Mercado La Paloma. Community members spoke about the barriers they face accessing capital and how a city-owned public bank could help close gaps in affordable housing, small and micro-business lending, infrastructure, and other urgent needs. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado voiced her support for moving a public bank forward as a tool to help alleviate the struggles Angelenos are facing. Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs named the urgency for bold tools to confront economic inequality head-on. Our thanks to team leads for facilitated the evening: Trinity Tran, Patrice Berry, Luz Castro, Gisele Mata, and Larry Fondation.  Thank you to End Poverty in California, Inclusive Action for the City, ACCE Action, United Parents and Students, California Public Banking Alliance, and Public Bank LA team, and...

LA budget season is here, and the Public Bank LA coalition showed up at the UCLA Worker Center Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, Los Angeles Controller Kenneth Mejia, and community leaders from BLM, RepresentLA, LA Forward, IDEPSCA, to demand a 2026 City budget that matches the people’s priorities, including immigration services, care-first budget investments, and prioritizing the public bank plan. Inclusive Action for the City and Public Bank Los Angeles Coalition’s Luz Castro put it powerfully: “Investing in a public bank is immigrant justice. With federal attacks on sanctuary cities escalating, a public bank helps protect local resources and put public dollars to work here at home, supporting entrepreneurs with fair loans and financing and investing in community stability, not systems that criminalize and harm our neighbors.”