A dozen years after North Carolina became the first state to outlaw short-term, high-cost payday lending, legislators and lobbyists are pushing for the industry's return, promising protections to prevent borrowers from sinking into a cycle of debt. The industry was outlawed in 2001 after a four-year experiment, but it wasn't until 2006 that the last payday lenders finally shut down. North Carolina lawmakers of both parties have periodically pushed to bring payday lending back to the state. The industry this year has pumped up its efforts, hiring 10 lobbyists including former state House Speaker Harold Brubaker, R-Randolph, and former state Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer. Republican...
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