PORT TOWNSEND — A town hall meeting on the idea of creating a Washington state bank is planned Sunday.
The meeting, which is sponsored by the coordinator of the Jefferson County MoveOn Council, will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.
Proposal
Rep. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, will explain his proposal for the Washington Investment Trust, talk about how it would be financed and answer questions.
The proposed bank would act as a depository for state revenue and could offer low-interest loans to college students and local governments for public works, said Diane Jones, coordinator of the Jefferson County MoveOn Council.
Hasegawa introduced a bill a year ago that did not obtain sufficient support.
He recently introduced a new version of the bill, HB 2434, which has been referred to the House Business & Financial Services Committee.
A similar bill has been introduced in the state Senate.
Hasegawa has modeled his proposal on the Bank of North Dakota, which has been state-run since 1919.
The state currently banks with Bank of America, which profits from both fees and interest.
The trust, however, would create revenue for the state instead.
Reduced fees?
It could also reduce fees to JPMorgan Chase, which currently administers state welfare payouts.
“The trust can create credit, allowing it to partner with financial institutions and provide low-interest credit for economic development,” Jones said.
“It keeps taxpayers’ money working here in Washington to build our economy.”