Under the guise of “reform,” the Missouri House of Representatives has advanced a bill that actually would loosen restrictions on the payday loan industry. That’s pretty galling, given that Missouri already is one of the friendliest states in the union for short-term lending sharks. In playing footsie with the payday lending industry — which contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to their campaigns — Missouri lawmakers are bucking a trend in which 17 other states have cracked down on the industry. Included are the rock-ribbed Republican states of Arizona and Montana.
