Use of Legislative Data to Build a State Campaign Against Payday Lending
Presentation by
Wilhelmina A. Leigh
“Paycheck to Payday: … ” Panel
Southern Regional Asset Building Coalition Conference
New Orleans, LA
September 25, 2014
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Presentation Topics
Using data about a state legislature and its members to support a campaign against payday lending◦Questions to ask◦Types of data to gather and use
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Presentation is based on report Where the Stores Are … And Other Factors Related to Legislative Support for the Payday Lending/Title Loan Industry in Alabama (2014, August) by Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies for Alabama Asset Building Coalition.
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Questions To AskWhy have members of the legislature
been unable to pass legislation to rein in payday lending?
Is this inability to pass anti-payday lending laws associated with the receipt by legislators of campaign contributions from the payday lending/title loan industry?
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Questions To Ask (cont’d)Do legislators whose districts contain the
largest numbers of payday stores receive the largest contributions from the payday lending/title loan industry?
Based on information about industry contributions to legislators, which legislators are likely allies/opponents for a campaign against payday lending?
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Data Needed To Answer Questions
Number of payday stores per state legislative districts (Senate and House)
Amount of campaign contribution(s) to legislators by payday lending/title loan industry
Committee assignments and leadership positions held by legislators
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Data To Answer Questions: Number of Payday Stores Per Legislative District
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Legislative Body Average Number of Stores Per
District
Maximum Number of Stores Per
District
Minimum Number of Stores Per
District
Alabama Senate 29 48 9
Alabama House of Representatives
10 26 0
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Data To Answer Questions: Number of Payday Stores Per State Senate District
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Data To Answer Questions: Number of Payday Stores Per State House District
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Data To Answer Questions:Amount of Campaign Contributions to Legislators
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Legislative Body Members with PD/TL
Industry Contribution
(2010)
Maximum Contribution
Minimum Contribution
Alabama Senate 66 percent $8,100 $500
Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
42 percent $8,100 $1,000
Alabama House of Representatives
29 percent $6,500 $500
House Financial Services Committee
78 percent $6,000 $1,000
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Data To Answer Questions:Which Members Get Money? AL Senate
Senator PD/TL Industry Contribution
(2010)
# Stores in District
(2014)
African Americans in District
Relevant Position Held
by Senator
Roger Bedford, Jr.(D-6)
$8,100 26 15% Member of Banking and
Insurance Committee
Bobby Singleton(D-24)
$7,200 32 64%
Scott Beason(R-17)
$5,100 21 6%
Vivian Davis Figures(D-33)
$500 45 71% Senate Minority Leader
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Data To Answer Questions:Which Members Get Money? AL House
Representative PD/TL Industry
Contribution(2010)
# Stores in
District (2014)
African Americans in District
Relevant Position Held by
Representative
Mike Hubbard(R-79)
$6,500 6 13% Speaker of House
Lesley Vance(R-80)
$6,000 8 18% Chair of FinancialServices Committee
Oliver Robinson(D-58)
$5,750 17 72% Member of FinancialServices Committee
Marcel Black(D-3)
$4,500 19 24% Ranking Minority Member of Financial Services Committee
Steve Hurst(R-35)
$2,350 20 15% Member of Financial Services Committee
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Summary of AnswersPayday lending/title loan industry
contributed to many (but not all) AL state legislators whose districts include large numbers of payday stores.
The industry also supports campaigns of legislators who hold leadership positions or serve on relevant committees (such as Senate Banking and Insurance, or House Financial Services).
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Using Answers to Shape Campaign
Answers to questions discussed can help you decide who to approach and how◦In AL, the search for allies might be harder in
Senate than in the House overall.◦However, when seeking allies on relevant AL
legislative committees, the search might be easier within the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee than within the House Financial Services Committee.
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Data Sources Alabama Deferred Presentment Services Act (ADPSA) Licensees Database
http://216.226.177.103/ADPSA_Licenses2.asp?VTI-GROUP=0&search=%25&submit1=Search
(Howard University Center on Race and Wealth compiled data and used
GIS Software to prepare maps by legislative district in Alabama.)
American Community Survey http://www.census.gov/acs/www/ for socioeconomic data at state level
www.followthemoney.org for campaign contributions to candidates for state elections
www.legislature.state.al.us for information about legislators by district, political party, committee assignments, et al.
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies