As another legislative session is about to come to a close and pundits and politicos sit back to analyze quotes and votes, the very issues that were taken up by legislators in the state capitol speak to their values.

The Viaduct and transportation spending, NASCAR, a new Sonics stadium, and a bevy of other issues were debated with varying results. The Legislature passed one of the most extensive children’s healthcare programs in the country. They also supported the environment by passing a first-in-the-nation ban on PBDEs (a toxic flame retardant).

At the end of the day, children and a cleaner environment are pretty safe political plays. Children are some of our most vulnerable residents and should be protected. Toxic chemicals negatively impact our entire state’s quality of life. One might imagine that all issues with massive public support would see some action by the Legislature — right?

Payday lending reform enjoyed support from a large and growing coalition. Editorial boards across the state supported curbs on the practice, and the coalition advocating reform had a preferred bill in the House with 27 co-sponsors.

Unfortunately, the widely supported effort to rein in predatory payday lenders saw no action in the State Senate, and the House committee refused to allow a hearing on a bill that would provide direct relief to consumers.

Organizations and volunteers work tirelessly to endorse candidates and educate voters during the campaign season, long before legislators ever have a chance to impress their values on public policy.

As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, Poverty Action distributes candidate questionnaires to educate voters on issues ranging from payday lending reform to asset building programs to homelessness. Unfortunately, sometimes those positions can be forgotten when it comes to lawmaking.

Social justice advocates have yet to walk away from Olympia having checked everything off their wish list, although we hope that issues we work on, the issues with broad public support, do receive serious consideration.

Predatory payday lending reform is an issue of great interest to the people of the state, as well as Poverty Action. While it may not seem to have a direct effect on children and it isn’t as easy to see as a bike path or an urban forest, predatory payday lending hurts families when they are most vulnerable and affects our entire community.

Currently, payday lenders in this state are allowed to charge what amounts to 391 percent APR (annual percentage rate) interest on a 14-day loan. We think 391 percent is usury. Predatory lenders take advantage of people who feel they have run out of options and are enticed to take out a loan against their next paycheck, driving them into a spiral of debt. But in the face of broad support for reform and the negative impacts that predatory lending has in our communities, the Legislature failed to bring relief to working families.

What does another year of unfettered payday lending mean to working families in Washington? Another 3.5 million loans at astronomical interest rates that cost Washington consumers and our local economies millions.

Fortunately, there is a broad coalition of organizations ranging from labor groups to faith organizations to social and economic justice advocates, like Poverty Action, who are committed to continuing efforts to reform an unchecked industry that charges rates amounting to usury.

This coalition, Communities Against Payday Predators (CAPP), is working to close the payday lender loophole by capping annual interest rates on short term loans at 36 percent.

Some legislators said that 36 percent is too low, but is 36 percent interest too low? Not for Georgia. A few years back, the Peach State banned payday lending all together. This year there was an effort to open the door back up to excessive interest rates; fortunately, it was defeated. Many states ban or prohibit payday lending.

Many people are also surprised to hear that the Washington State Consumer Loan Act caps annual interest rates at 25 percent for all other small loan providers. That’s right, 25 percent interest and that is already on the books; unfortunately, payday lenders were given special privileges and don’t have to abide by it.

Do you want to be even more shocked?

Last year a pro-business, Republican Congress and President Bush passed the Talent Amendment, which not only caps annual interest rates on payday loans to military families at 36 percent percent, but it also bans the practice of check holding and binding mandatory arbitration. The Washington Legislature failed to extend these protections to all working families in our state.

I believe the people of Washington deserve more. The values that allow for continued interest rates like 391 percent don’t match the values of most of the people in our state. It is a shame the Legislature failed to make any serious attempt to rein in this usury. We will continue the fight, and we hope you will join us. n

Aiko Schaefer is director of the Statewide Poverty Action Network (www.povertyaction.org). Poverty Action has thousands of members across the state working together to ensure everyone is able to meet basic needs and has the opportunity to prosper. They are a coalition member of Communities Against Payday Predators (www.noloansharks.org).