March 6, 2026

The Top Line

Thank you for reading! Here’s this week’s Top Line:

  • WBA PCBS Scholarship: We are excited to partner with our good friends at Pacific Coast Banking School to offer a new scholarship for WBA member bankers interested in pursuing their banking education, starting with the 2026 summer session. The WBA Bankers Care PCBS Scholarship is now taking applications until April 15 and is open to any banker in the state with at least 5 years of experience. The scholarship will cover $2,400 per year for the program’s three years. To learn more, visit https://wabankers.com/pcbs/ 
  • Banking Agencies FAQ on Tokenized Securities: This week, the banking regulators released an FAQ about how banks should treat eligible tokenized securities under the new capital rule, which Congress has not yet finalized. While the legislation was expected to be marked up earlier this year, negotiations with the crypto firms stalled, but we still expect the bill to advance this year. This will be the focus of next week’s ABA Summit in D.C., along with the recent news that the Federal Reserve approved a “limited-purpose” master account for the crypto firm Kraken, raising concerns from the ABA and other trade groups. 
  • Legislative Session Winds Down: The Legislature has less than a week left on the clock this year, and we are keeping an eye on a few items still moving through the process. The budgets are proceeding as scheduled, and the proposal for the new income tax is waiting for a final vote on the House floor. Earlier this week, new doubts about the proposal were raised by House Ds, as a large contingent voiced their concerns, and by Gov. Ferguson in a press briefing. We are also watching the first mortgage interest deduction bill, which, despite changes, keeps the deduction the same for community banks.  
  • MDP Starts in April: For those looking to help branch managers or others in your organization build their skills, the Management Development Program starts in early April. This fully virtual program gives students insights into their own communication styles, how to work effectively with others, and an updated session on project management. It’s being offered by 8 of our state banking partners, so make sure to save a spot before it fills up! Also, don’t forget that the next round of UBP starts in early April, too!  
  • New Partner Programs: I’m also delighted to share that WBA is partnering with several local organizations to offer programs that are likely to be of interest to your organizations. On March 25, we partnered with the RMA Puget Sound Chapter for its annual Women in Banking Luncheon at the WAC, and with the OBA for its Women in Banking Luncheon on April 21. Then, in May, we are again partnering with Oregon on its PR and Crisis Communications webinar series. 
  • Congrats to Cagla! The Turkish Women’s Hockey team won the bronze medal at their tournament in Croatia last weekend. 

We'll be back again next week with a new Top Line - wishing you all the best until then. Huzzah!