A Washington newspaper says lawmakers shouldn’t ease restrictions on payday loans because consumers aren’t smart enough to make decisions on their own.

When it comes to protecting the public from itself, state Rep. Steve Kirby, D-Tacoma, has undergone a change of heart.

… But now, one year after the new restriction went into effect, Kirby argues that the eight-loan limit is driving cash-strapped borrowers to “the Wild West” of the Internet, where they can be victimized by unlicensed lenders who observe no caps on the number and size of loans.