In a story that came out in The Missourian today, we were glad to see some reporting that had a balanced perspective, offering opinions from the opposition and also what would happen if you placed restrictions on payday lending. Who would be affected the most, you ask? Consumers, and access to much-needed, and affordable credit options…of course!

Saku Aura, an associate (sic) professor of public economics at MU, said he believes the ballot initiative could prove beneficial in some ways, but might make it harder for people to get credit in the long run.

While Aura acknowledged claims that people are struggling with these loans and making irrational decisions, he added that “it’s also true that many people are using this loan as the last resource because they don’t have access to any other type of credit.”

He said the ballot initiative could lead to the disappearance of payday lenders or a dramatic change in the services they provide.