COLUMBUS - Ohio voters yesterday rejected a proposed $600 million casino - the fourth time plans for expanded gambling in the state have been turned down since 1990.
Voters approved a new payday lending law that cuts the annual percentage rate that lenders can charge to 28 percent and limits the number of loans customers can take to four a year.
A "yes" vote on Issue 5 upheld the law. Voting "no" rejected the limits and cap on interest rates, allowing lenders to charge rates and fees that amount to a 391 percentage annual percentage rate.
"Ohio voters stripped payday lenders of their permit to fleece working people," Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio and treasurer of the group working in favor of the issue, said in a statement.
Supporters of the casino measure - Issue 6 - bet that voters would think more about Ohio's economic problems than their previous opposition to casinos and gambling.
MyOhioNow.com, Cleveland-area developers backing the proposal, said the resort would create up to 5,000 jobs.The vote shows continued strong opposition to gambling in Ohio, said David Zanotti, president of the Ohio Roundtable, a group of business and community leaders that has fought the gambling issues.
Voters also easily passed the other three state issues.
Issue 2 allows the state to issue bonds to pay for conservation of natural open spaces.
Issue 3 strengthens landowners' rights to make "reasonable use" of water that runs on or through a property.
Issue 1 requires an earlier filing deadline for statewide ballot issues.
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