COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A ballot proposal to cap Ohio's interest rates on payday loans and impose additional regulations on the industry has cleared its initial hurdle.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine certified the "Short-Term Loan Consumer Protection Amendment" on Monday. His office found backers' re-submitted petition contained a "fair and truthful" summary of the proposal and the necessary 1,000 valid signatures. An earlier petition was rejected March 9.
The amendment goes next to the Ohio Ballot Board.
Organizers, including the Ohio CDC Association, said in launching the ballot effort in February that they want to see some of the nation's highest interest rates on short-term loans capped at no more than 28 percent.
Ohio voters already approved payday lending limits years ago, but the industry has found ways to bypass those restrictions.
