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A South Carolina tire factory owned by a global corporation received a substantial loan from the Small Business Administration for pandemic relief while many genuinely small businesses — especially those owned by people of color and women — were unable to access the program. Despite the generous loan, Giti Tire furloughed all of its workers…
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En Espanol This week, congress agreed to pass another COVID relief bill. Here’s what the bill entails for SNAP, Unemployment, Stimulus Payments, and Housing Assistance. If you are being threatened with eviction, you must fill out this form, certifying you cannot pay rent due to the pandemic and give the completed form to your landlord…
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Federal and State Lawmakers Must Also Reform Payday and Auto-Title Lending Laws. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Wellshire Financial Services, an empire of auto title lending entities, secured a $25 million low-interest loan from the federal government’s pandemic program. They were able to do this because of a loophole in the program, even…
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There have been few issues in recent memory that have united Republicans, Democrats, and Independent voters. Tough Wall Street reform is an issue that transcends party lines, and connects almost everyone through the dire need of stricter regulations. Wall Street reform has almost universal support from voters in the key 2020 early states, including in…
Read MoreCOLUMBIA, S.C. – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution, S.J. Res 56, which would repeal the payday and car title lending rule finalized by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in October. The announcement to roll back this important consumer protection comes off the heels of the payday…
Read MoreOn Wednesday night, Gov. McMaster gave his first “State of the State” address. In the end, what he offered felt like little more than pandering and empty promises—albeit with a handshake and a smile. While speaking of “New Prosperity” and broad tax cuts, he conveniently omitted that the proposed cuts would largely benefit those who…
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Recently we have been flooded with headlines touting Dominion Energy’s push to purchase all the stock of SCANA, the parent company of SCE&G, and strike a deal to “save” the troubled utility. But how will this work out for consumers? First, Dominion usually promotes the fact that they are offering an immediate 5% bill discount…
Read MoreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 11, 2017 South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center Contact: Sue Berkowitz ([email protected]); National Consumer Law Center Contacts: Lauren Saunders ([email protected]) or Stephen Rouzer ([email protected]); 202.595.7847 CFPB Rule Restores South Carolinians’ Day in Court Over Financial Misconduct Rule Addresses Forced Arbitration of Claims Involving Credit Cards, Payday Loans, Other Financial Products (COLUMBIA)…
Read MoreSens Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott Urged to Reject Measure to Block Fraud and Fee Protections on Prepaid Cards Obscure, fast-track law would stop CFPB prepaid card rule CONTACT: Sue Berkowitz (803)779-1113 x101 Columbia, SC – February 6, 2017 – South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center today called on South Carolina Senators Lindsey Graham and…
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Though America’s economic expansion is now in its seventh year, many South Carolina communities remain distressed, crimping residents’ chances of achieving economic stability or success in their lifetimes, according to a new study. The February 2016 report, by the Economic Innovation Group, a Washington-based nonprofit research and advocacy group, said 30 percent of South Carolina…
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