I-164 Opponents Work Hard To Halt Montana Ballot
The opponents of an initiative to cap interest rates charged by payday loan lenders were sent about their business by the Montana Supreme Court not meeting them halfway. The opponents asked a Helena district judge to prevent the secretary of state from certifying the cap for the November ballot.
1:14 p.m. Thursday the Secretary of State Linda McCulloch's received the legal document saying to halt certification of Initiative 164.
Nevertheless, according to Harper Lawson, McCulloch's chief of staff, only an hour and a half before, at11:45 a.m. McCulloch's office had sent out a number of e-mails to election officials in the 56 counties. The e-mails certified measures and candidates for the autumn election ballot.
Lawson added that the law states the Secretary of State has to issue certification 75 days after the election, in other words by this Thursday.
The treasurer of the Coalition for Consumer Choice Against I-164 and payday lender, Bernard Harrington of Billings asked his attorneys to take the legal action.
Kathy Seeley, the Helena District Judge, was asked to forbid McCulloch to certify the ballot statement.
The essence of I-164 is to cap the APR of payday loans no hard credit check at 36%. As for Harrington, he and his group were hampered by the Montana Supreme Court in realization of their plan to have I-164 struck from the ballot. The Supreme Court majority still amended the statement of purpose and for-and-against statements that will appear on the ballot for I-164. Posted on Mon, 2010-10-04 05:20
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