House Dems Try End-Run Around GOP's Efforts to Protect Predatory Payday Lenders

The Tribune's Terry Ganey reports that 60 House Democrats "signed a 'discharge petition'" to remove Rep. Mary Still's payday lending legislation "from the control of the House Financial Institutions Committee and place it on the House calendar for consideration." The bill will now be technically on the list of bills the House can consider, but there's little reason to believe Speaker Ron Richard or Majority Floor Leader Steve Tilley will let a vote on the bill happen.

The Democrats' move comes a week after Ethical Superstar and payday loan operator Don Wells (R-Cabool) used committee time to let industry lobbyists extol the virtues of payday lending without actually considering Still's bill or allowing for opposition comment.

More Ganey: 

Last week, state Rep. Don Wells, R-Cabool and the vice chairman of the committee, staged a “lending presentation” in which representatives of the payday loan industry informed committee members of the value of payday loans. No opponents of payday loans were allowed to testify. Wells is the owner of Kwik Kash, a payday loan business in Cabool.

The Star's Barb Shelly praises the Democrats' move, but is not optimistic about the leadership of Richard and Tilley: 

Truthfully, the bill stands little chance in the Republican-controlled House. It's too bad that GOP leaders have squelched debate on an important issue. Missouri ranks fifth in the nation for the number of payday loans per capita. Short-term loans serve a purpose, but mostly unregulated payday loans play a role in financial ruin and neighborhood blight. It would make for an interesting debate.