Loan Shark Liability: Dems Take Aim at Larry Crowder

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by: Colorado Pols

Sen. Larry Crowder.

A press release yesterday from the Democratic Senate Campaign Fund calls out Sen. Larry Crowder, in a hot race against Democratic Las Animas County Sheriff Jim Casias, for his support of Senate Bill 16-185: the bill that passed the Senate this week on a party-line vote to jack up interest rates on subprime personal loans.

“In a session in which helping working people should be the focus, my opponent is co-sponsoring a bill that would enlarge profits for the wealthy at the expense of the working class. We need to be looking at how to reward people who work hard and play by the rules, not giving big breaks to Denver special interests at the expense of working people.” said Jim Casias, Candidate for Senate District 35.

Crowder’s senate district has struggled to regain footing since the Great Recession and many people in his district have taken note. During his first-term, Crowder has voted to gut retirement benefits for teachers, state patrol, correctional officers, and other public employees (SB15-80) while voting to give a pay raise for politicians like himself (HB15-1256). Additionally, he has been under fire for voting down a rural economic bill that would bring broadband Internet to rural districts like his (15’ Cow Budget #34).

District 35 resident Paula Lucero said, “I don’t see how helping loan sharks benefits our district. Who is putting Larry Crowder up to this and what is he getting out of it?”

…Non-partisan experts on local and state economy and finance, including AARP Colorado, Colorado Fiscal Institute, and Colorado Center for Law and Policy, testified that the measure is a solution in search of a problem. The bill would allow interest rates up to 36% for loans.

However ingratiating lobbyists for subprime personal lenders may be, the fact is that the industry does not have a good reputation among voters–especially voters in economically challenged areas like the sprawling southern Colorado district Crowder represents. Especially after every Democrat in the Colorado Senate held firm in voting no on Senate Bill 16-185, this is an issue that can be capitalized on to good effect in the upcoming elections.

And it won’t just be Crowder. Ahead of final passage, several Republican Senators added themselves as co-sponsors, including at least two in targeted races this year–Randy Baumgardner and Jack Tate.

We expect to see all of them in shark suits this fall.

12 thoughts on “Loan Shark Liability: Dems Take Aim at Larry Crowder”

chowder says:

April 29, 2016 at 1:38 pm

Oh, Crowder. I doubt any of these big money lenders live in his district, so I can't wait until the next time he claims he votes for his constituents.

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Moderatus says:

April 29, 2016 at 3:17 pm

Weren't you just praising Crowder for his willingness to violate TABOR?

With friends like Colorado Pols…

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1. taterheaptom says:
  
  April 30, 2016 at 9:36 am
  
  You really are "as intelligent" as you seem.
  
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notaskinnycook says:

April 29, 2016 at 4:19 pm

He voted for this in that big ol' dirt-poor district of his? Some enterprising Dem is going to have fun with him this fall.

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Ruralrowboat says:

April 29, 2016 at 5:43 pm

Crowder has never cared about representing rural views. With coal mines dying, and our biggest towns in rural Colorado failing, he still does not understand the adversity we face.

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winstin says:

April 29, 2016 at 7:14 pm

Typical lies from the DSCF and their cronies. Wonder why DSCF failed to mention that this legislation is co-sponsored by democrat Representative Melton? Why did they leave out that all but 2 house Democrats voted for similar legislation in 2015? I wonder why they left out the fact that dem Melton also sponsored the bill last year. Melton is carrying the legislation because poor people in his community are having to rely on pawnshops and payday loans which charge up to 200%. Well, here I will let the other left wing paper explain why The Democrats in the house want this legislation here's the link.

http://www.coloradoindependent.com/158911/subprime-loans-colorado

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1. Diogenesdemar says:
  
  April 29, 2016 at 9:02 pm
  
  Melton is carrying the legislation because poor people in his community are having to rely on pawnshops and payday loans which charge up to 200%.
  
  1. I wish I could speak to the author of that article and correct the many errors and misinformation.
  
  B. Rep. Melton seems to me to be a good person trying to do good things for his constituents, but he also seems to have been sold a bucket of horsepoo and told it was sunshine by the bill's lying proponents — shame on the lying proponents, not that they have any.
  
  XI. You seem like a fool, or an idiot, or worse . . . probably worse, much worse!?!
  
  e. Craig needs its village idiots more than CP does. Go away.
  
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winstin says:

April 29, 2016 at 8:05 pm

Also, since we are talking about the lying DSCF I would like readers to investigate hb15-1256. That legislation was to move rural Routt county to a category 2 payscale. It passed 63-2 in the housend and 29-6 in the Senate. Special thanks to representative vigil for sponsoring that one. Also, FYI. ROUTT COUNTY ISN'T IN CROWDERS DISTRICT SO IN NO WAY WILL HE GET PART OF THIS RAISE. QUIT lying DSCF.

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1. mamajama55 says:
  
  April 29, 2016 at 8:21 pm
  
  winstin….take a breath. Typing in all caps is "shouting". So why are you so pissed off about a HB15-1256? It looks like a reasonable bill that had bipartisan support, that made legislative salaries more equitable across the state.
  
  By the way, I'm probably one of the few Pols readers compulsively curious enough to actually "investigate" something. I looked at 15-1256, didn't really see anything to get riled up about. So what's your beef?
  
  And by the way, copying and pasting the link is also considered to be courteous, particularly if you want readers to check something out. If you don't know how, ask.
  
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  1. Gray in Mountains says:
    
    April 29, 2016 at 8:49 pm
    
    There were a number of us who complained about D support of predatory lending
    
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  2. winstin says:
    
    April 30, 2016 at 6:41 am
    
    Sorry mamajama…I just have an issue with the press release and it's basic dishonesty. In the press release cited above the dscf attacks crowder for voting for 'pay raise for politicians like himself' in 1256. I looked up the bill and agree it is a good bill for county officials in Routt County. The problem is most people think the pay raise bill is referring to the bill that raised pay for the legislature…..Crowder voted no on that bill. I tried to post the link to the Colorado independent…I don't know why it's not working. It is showing up on my feed.
    
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  3. Duke Cox says:
    
    April 30, 2016 at 7:29 am
    
    We are seeing some blowback in Mesa county…our officials are getting a raise, but our county staff has been waiting for a raise for eight years…they are a little ticked off.
    
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