Proposed legislation would limit payday loans to $500
By JIM DAVENPORT Associated Press Writer
      COLUMBIA - Payday lenders would have to check a database of borrowers before issuing a loan and could not lend more than $500 at a time under a bill being debated by the state Senate. Supporters of the bill insist they are not trying to put payday lenders out of business. The industry is essenti...
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Cigarette tax under scrutiny
      COLUMBIA - A Senate finance subcommittee met briefly Thursday to talk about a plan that would raise the state's cigarette tax. Senators discussed proposals to raise the nation's lowest tax of 7 cents a pack to as much as 57 cents. That would raise about $160 million.
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