Public Bank Heads to Ballot as Cannabis Cafés Advance 7-4

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors cleared two of the most consequential policy decisions of the summer at its July 7 meeting: sending a public bank charter amendment to the November ballot on a 9-2 vote, and advancing a cannabis café ordinance over heated objections about indoor smoking. The session also featured a rare unanimous stand on behalf of KGO-TV's broadcast license, a warning shot from Supervisor Shamann Walton on the Housing Trust Fund, and new oversight demands on autonomous vehicle failures during the July 4 fireworks.

• Public bank charter amendment ordered to the November 2026 ballot, 9-2, with Sherrill and Wong opposed

• Cannabis café ordinance passes first reading 7-4, as Melgar warns indoor smoking reverses public health gains

• Walton signals he may campaign against the Housing Trust Fund charter amendment despite voting to continue it

• Board unanimously backs KGO-TV in FCC license renewal fight, with nearly every supervisor co-sponsoring

• Supervisor Mahmood demands answers on July 4 Waymo gridlock that left residents stranded after fireworks

• Mahmood calls hearing on mass evictions by Domus Management at two Western Addition properties

• Mandelman introduces tax relief for small hardware stores hit by unintended consequences of Proposition M

The basics: The Board voted 7-4 to pass on first reading an ordinance establishing a new cannabis café permit type, administered by the Office of Cannabis. The permit authorizes on-premises cannabis consumption only. The item arrived at the full Board without a recommendation from the Land Use and Transportation Committee — a procedural signal that the committee itself was divided.