Al Melvin Week, Day 3: Ignoring Voters, Listening to Predatory Payday Lenders

State Sen. Al Melvin promised, if sent to the Legislature, he would work for Phoenix bosses rather than listen to his voters -- and he proved a friend of the payday lenders his constituents rejected.

The Pima County Democratic Party this week is highlighting five votes he will have to explain as he kicks off his re-election campaign. Melvin was one of the few to support resuscitating the predatory lending industry that Arizonans overwhelmingly voted to shut down.

In 2008, predatory lenders spent millions to convince voters to let the industry continue but voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 200. Melvin’s own 26th Legislative District defeated this measure by more than two to one. These agents bet that short-term loans won't be paid back in time.

The industry hired big-money lobbyists in a failed effort to thwart the will of the voters. Their few friends included Al Melvin and the bill’s sponsor, Phoenix Republican Russell Pearce.

“Arizonans can be divided on a lot of issues but Democrats, Republicans and independents agree there's no place in Arizona for an industry that gets rich by preying on people who are poor,” said Pima County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Rogers. “Especially when they seem to target military families."

Standing against public opinion often shows a principled defiance. It is not clear that is what Melvin was doing.

“Melvin should tell us if he grew up with a core belief that predatory payday lenders were victims of restrictions on their loan-sharking ways,” Rogers said. “If he’s just doing what Russell Pearce told him to do, he should tell us that, too. Saluting Phoenix is, after all, exactly what he promised two years ago.”

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