STEP FORWARD - Shriver Center

By Karen Harris, Supervising Attorney

In recent years several states have enacted annual percentage interest rate (APR) limits that eliminate the triple-digit interest rates charged by payday lenders. The payday lending industry is now fighting back by sponsoring ballot initiatives that threaten these sensible payday lending regulations in two states: Arizona and Ohio.

A “no” vote on Proposition 200 in Arizona will ensure that payday lenders’ current predatory practices will no longer be permitted when the exemption for such lenders from the state’s 36 percent APR cap expires in 2010. In Ohio, by contrast, a “yes” vote on Ballot Issue 5 will create a 28 percent APR cap on payday loans, while a “no” vote will allow payday lenders to continue charging up to 391 percent interest rates. Thus Arizona voters should vote “no,” and Ohio voters should vote “yes,” on these critical ballot measures to protect their communities from the debt traps caused by abusive payday loans. (more…)

By Marcia Henry,  Senior Attorney-Senior Editor

The inaugural issue of Civil Right to Counsel Update  is now available. To be published quarterly, the Update will report on all aspects of advocacy to achieve recognition of a right to counsel for low-income people in civil cases that affect basic human needs. In criminal cases, a right to counsel has long been recognized any time a defendant faces even a brief period of incarceration. But no parallel right exists in civil cases, despite consequences-like permanent loss of custody of a child, or loss of safe and subsidized housing, or denial of health care-that can be at least as devastating. (more…)

John Bouman, President

Poverty is a complex, daunting issue that requires action on a variety of different fronts, but we can’t disregard the necessary job of keeping it in the public eye and on the political radar. That’s why, today, bloggers across the world participate in the UN’s 2^nd Annual Blog Action Day.  This event aims to provide a platform for bloggers to discuss poverty from a variety of perspectives and hopefully mobilize audiences to increase awareness of the problem. (more…)

By Margaret Stapleton, Senior Attorney

Lots of things about health insurance are ironic. Example: Getting health care (which prevents more serious trouble or restores health) can trigger difficulties staying insured due to premium adjustments upward and preexisting-condition exclusions if the patient needs to change insurance plans. 

But the biggest irony is that, in some states, it’s okay for insurers to look at information of questionable relevance (past medical treatment), but now nowhere in the United States is it okay to look at information of quite certain relevance (genetic test results).  (more…)