'Together Louisiana' leaders publicly handed out Bibles to Louisiana state legislators, asking them to read it before voting on a payday lending reform bill which would cap the number of times an individual can turn over a loan. Said Rev. Lee T. Wesley of Baton Rouge, "We took notice that some legislators wanted to make the Bible the state book...if legislators want to give the Bible special standing, they should start off by reading it."

One of 45 lobbyists paid to kill Senate Bill 84 revealed he was feeling "like a bug smashed against a windshield" today.

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"Interfaith members who met with The Times editorial board last week, said their interest in this legislation is about helping consumers avoid entering a debt loop they often find it difficult to escape from. Interfaith and other organizations around the state have joined forces as "Together Louisiana" to highlight the matter before the public and lawmakers.

'We are not asking that the payday industry be outlawed,' Interfaith members stated in a news release. 'Banks and credit unions have a cap on the number of loans one person can receive. We do not think it unreasonable that the payday industry should adhere to the same rules.'"

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One week after 400 people filled Elm Grove Baptist Church in a meeting about payday lending, 100 Together Louisiana leaders rallied on the front steps of the Capitol exhorting lawmakers to curb the most predatory practices in the payday lending industry. They were joined by lawmakers that pledged to fight for bills that would fulfill this goal.

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This legislative session, with the support of Together Louisiana, lawmakers will evaluate whether to pass a bill limiting how much payday lenders can make on the backs of their customers.

Ms. Thelma Fleming, a leader with Elm Grove Baptist Church, once spent $2,500 to get out of a $300 debt trap, eventually costing her her car, bank account and gifts from her children. Her institution is a member of Together Louisiana which is on the forefront of this legislative fight.

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Leaders of EPISO and Border Interfaith leveraged enough City Council votes to restrict how much payday lenders can make off low-income families. Lobbyists flew in from Dallas and Austin to fight this ordinance, but this did not keep the council from heeding the organized voice of families and institutions, and voting 6-1 in support. Bishop Mark Seitz of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso supported these efforts to protect families from compounding debt and excessive fees.

The new payday lending reform in El Paso allows lenders to loan no more than 20% of a borrower's gross income. Contracts must now be presented in the person's dominant language and short-term loans cannot be rolled over more than three times.

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