Organizations hoping to put a minimum wage increase and a limit on payday loans on the November ballot have given up their court fight.
The Secretary of State had ruled neither petition campaign got enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Missourians for Responsible Lending and Give Missourians a Raise campaigns had been scheduled to get a court hearing tomorrow to reverse the decisions.
But spokesman Sean Nicholson says well-financed opponents have set up roadblocks the organizations don’t have the money or time to overcome.
He says the petitions show a clear public desire for payday loan controls. But he’s pessimistic about the legislature responding next year.
The court challenge to the failure of the petition to get enough signatures for the payday loan proposal had been scheduled for a hearing tomorrow. Nelson says opponents planned to challenge every signature his organizations claimed was legitimate but uncounted. He says backers of both issues lack the financial resources to counter those efforts.
AUDIO: Nicholson interview 5:04
