Rashida Tlaib Highlights Our Public Banking Movement in The Guardian!

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Michael McCarthy give a shout-out to our grassroots public banking movement in The Guardian!

“From Los Angeles to New York, for example, there are dozens of grassroots movements across our country building public options for finance. Democratic public banks and public asset managers are not run by a corporate board at the command of profit-driven shareholders lounging on yachts somewhere on the other side of the world. Powered by democratic mandates, they can make investments in renewable energy, affordable housing, community wealth-building, and other institutions that meet people’s real needs.”

Read the article in The Guardian: Republicans want corporate oligarchy. We need economic democracy.

Catalyst Convening: Local Solutions & Public Banking

At the Catalyst Convening in Long Beach on March 26, 2025, hosted by the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) and the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), CPBA’s Trinity Tran participated in a funding panel to discuss the California Public Banking Act. Trinity discussed how public banks keep money local, funding climate action and affordable housing, and how a state public bank can address California’s urgent funding needs amid shifting federal priorities.

The event convened local, regional, and tribal governments, community organizations, and state agencies to address climate, land use, and energy issues, co-create policies, and identify funding opportunities for local solutions.

The People’s Lobby! Public Banking for California’s Future

Our volunteer advocates from Public Bank Sacramento, San Francisco Public Bank Coalition, Public Bank East Bay, and Public Bank Los Angeles met with legislators at the Capitol to share progress on building a network of socially and environmentally responsible public banks—and rallied for CalAccount.

It was a packed day, including productive meetings with Senator Monique Limón (D–Santa Barbara) and Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D–Los Angeles) as well as meeting with staff from a number of other legislators.

As cities grapple with budget deficits and federal threats to local resources, the time is ripe for public banking to come into being, leveraging public funds to invest in our communities and generate revenue to strengthen community sustainability. It’s time to mobilize public money for the public good.

With nearly 8 million Californians unbanked or underbanked and federal consumer protections under threat, we need the state to lead on CalAccount, ensuring that basic banking is treated as a right. Considering that many businesses nowadays won’t even take cash payments, a free debit card is a necessity. Stay tuned for the final phase of the CalAccount campaign kickoff!

CPBA Members with Senator Monique Limon and Assemblymember and Majority Whip Mark Gonzalez.

Calling All Banking and Finance Experts!

We’re seeking experts in banking and finance to join our Technical Working Group. We’re addressing challenges related to statewide public banking efforts, including regulatory requirements, alternative structures, capitalization, and more. We’re also exploring the reintroduction of our California State Bank bill.

VOLUNTEER WITH US!

Latest CPBA Resources

1. 2025 Legislative Briefing
2. Affordable Housing Brief

Check out our movement resources page for more: https://capublicbanking.com/movement-resources.

Tracking the Crisis

We’re sharing a helpful resource from our allies at The Democracy Collaborative: TRACKING THE CRISIS – a weekly news round-up covering administrative, legislative, and other actions by the new U.S. Administration, along with responses from legal, social, political, and economic movements.

This round-up serves as a tool to navigate the rapidly shifting political and economic landscape of the United States.

Stay informed and sign up at Tracking the Crisis.