Arizona: Chuck Coughlin

Last year Arizona voters rejected, by an overwhelming majority, a ballot initiative sponsored by payday lenders that would have allowed them to continue to do business in Arizona beyond June 30, 2010.  
... industry lobbyists pushed through a special law in 2000 allowing them to charge fees that far exceed the cap for what are called "deferred presentment transactions" of up to $500.

In essence, someone who needs money writes out a check for that amount plus the fee, which can be up to $17.85 per $100 valued. The company agrees not to cash the check for up to two weeks.

That computes out to an annual percentage interest of more than 450 percent.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Like Jim Nintzel at the Tucson Weekly, I can't afford to subscribe to the Arizona Guardian, which is reporting that Gov. Jan Brewer is ready to unveil her own budget—and she's "preparing for war on the Legislature" with some kind of campaign blitz to persuade Republicans to support her. Brewer Ready to Release Budget, Rumble with Republicans?

The Arizona Daily Star, which apparently can afford a subscription to the Arizona Guardian now that it is no longer bleeding money on the Tucson Citizen (R.I.P.), provides some of the details.

Governor Jan Brewer, whose staff is comprised mostly of former lobbyists who served in J.