Balance must be found as Mississippi crafts its payday lending bill, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
In the eyes of some consumer groups and religious organizations, payday loans are seen in a negative light. The groups point to the high fees and interest rates that can get as high as 574 percent in the state. Others worry that the payday lending industry has too much power when it comes to the legislative process.
Payday lenders, on the other hand, say that they provide a necessary line of credit for consumers in dire circumstances. If their services are gone, some people may be completely out of luck when vital costs occur, often from emergency circumstances. If a bill is put in place that severely limits or eliminates the industry altogether, some consumers will have nowhere else to turn when extra cash is needed.
The issue will never go away, however, and the publication urges both sides to work together to find a solution. Currently, the debate is polarized.
Mississippi House Banking Chairman George Flaggs explained to the newspaper that each side is "trying to pass a bill based on their calculations of profit margins. I don't think that is fair to consumers."