Capitol Media Services

Gun laws

The House voted 37-18 Tuesday to reduce the penalty on those who carry a concealed weapon without getting a state permit.

Arizona law generally allows anyone to carry a weapon that can readily be seen. Those who want to have a weapon tucked beneath clothing, in a purse or otherwise not visible must go through a background check and special training.

Violators now can be sentenced to up to six months in jail. SB 1629 reduces that to a $300 fine for a first offense.

The legislation, which now goes to the Senate, also says that courts cannot order those found guilty of breaking the law to forfeit their weapons.

Payday loans

On a 39-16 margin the House agreed Tuesday to place new restrictions on companies that offer "payday loans.''

These loans actually are a contract where the lender takes a check on an account where there are not sufficient funds and agrees to hold it for up to two weeks. The borrower can get up to $500 advanced that way for a 15 percent fee, an interest rate that, on an annual basis, is close to 400 percent.

The biggest change SB 1446 makes in the law is allowing those who cannot make the check good within two weeks an extra 12 weeks to pay the money back. There would be no interest or additional fees if the borrower made scheduled payments, a provision that brings the annual interest rate down to about 52 percent.

SB 1446 also prevents "rollovers'' where lenders can convince borrowers who cannot pay in two weeks to take yet another loan - for an additional 15 percent fee.

Lee Miller, who lobbies on behalf of payday lenders, said his clients were willing to make those concessions to eliminate a provision in current law that could put payday lenders out of business after 2010.

Rep. Marian McClure, R-Tucson, said while these changes help

reform the industry, she is pursuing an initiative to cap

interest rates for these loans at 30 percent plus the current

"prime'' lending rate, a figure that now stands at 8.25 percent.

Scrap metal

People who want to sell scrap metal to dealers are going to have

to first prove who they are under the terms of legislation given

final House approval Tuesday.

HB 2314 says all transactions of more than $25 must include a

photo of both the seller and the items sold, as well as the

seller's right index fingerprint. Buyers also would need to copy

the identification offered. And those who sell more than $300

worth of scrap at any one time would have to settle for having a

check mailed to an actual address - no post office boxes -

unless the seller is registered.

The measure, which now needs final Senate approval, also expands

existing criminal laws to punish those who damage property to

steal the metals.

HB 2314 is designed largely to halt the increasingly common theft

of copper wire and tubing, as thieves damage air conditioners and

electrical transformers to gain access to the metal.

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