Public Bank Advances, Code Cleanup Stalls as Board Tackles Remote Comment Mandate

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors spent its June 30 meeting wrestling with three very different questions about how government should work — whether the city should create its own bank, whether a 308-page bill can quietly erase decades of reporting requirements, and whether anyone on Earth should be able to call into a Board meeting starting tomorrow. All 11 supervisors were present, including Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who returned from an extended mental health leave.

• Public bank charter amendment advances 10-1 as Supervisor Wong casts lone dissent over fiscal risk; continued to July 7 ahead of state deadline

• 308-page code cleanup ordinance delayed two weeks after supervisors and small business groups flag embedded policy decisions and missing stakeholder outreach

• Remote public comment rules adopted under protest as state law SB 707 takes effect July 1, drawing sharp criticism from across the Board

• Fair Chance Ordinance expanded to bar employers from using out-of-state convictions for abortion, gender-affirming care, and drag performances

• Supervisor Melgar signals rent ordinance overhaul to fight speculative evictions accelerated by the AI economy

• Supervisor Fielder demands answers from SFPD on tactical gear deployment at Trans March and Stud Alley during Pride weekend

Why it matters: A state deadline means San Francisco must act soon if it wants to preserve the option to put a public bank on the November 2026 ballot. The charter amendment would create a Municipal Finance Corporation — the governance skeleton for a city-owned bank designed to fill gaps in small business lending, affordable housing, and climate finance.