Airdate: Wednesday, August 18, 2026 at 9 AM
San Francisco voters will decide in November whether to set up a public bank, a city-owned financial institution that could manage city funds and make loans. The move would make San Francisco the first city in the country to operate a public bank, though it’s a concept cities and states across the country are exploring as a way to give local governments more control over their money and fund projects such as affordable housing, green energy infrastructure and small businesses that commercial banks don’t typically fund. Critics say cities already have tools available to them that are less risky and complicated to use. We’ll dive into what it is and how it might work in San Francisco.
Guests:
Misha Steier, spokesperson, San Francisco Public Bank ChronicleAlyce McFadden, city hall reporter, San Francisco ChroniclePrasad Krishnamurthy, professor of law, UC Berkeley School of Law