Lyons/LaHood debate in West Peoria tonight

West Peoria Residents Association president David Pittman is faxing newsrooms around the area to let them know there’s a debate scheduled tonight between the candidates for state’s attorney. Here’s what it says:

Lyons/LaHood Debating
West Peoria City Hall
7-7:45pm
45 minute one on one debate.
West Peoria Residents Association

The Journal Star has it up on their site now. They also add that “it was scheduled before the two verbally sparred over LaHood’s visit to an alleged rape victim’s home this week.”

This promises to be one of the more entertaining debates of the campaign season. I doubt either candidate will be pulling any punches (metaphorically, that is).

Hat tip: Ian Schwartz

UPDATE: West Peoria City Hall, for those of you who don’t know (like me up until a minute ago), is located at 2506 W Rohmann Ave, West Peoria, IL 61604. Here’s a map.

Springfield also looking at restricting payday loan establishments

Peoria recently put a moratorium on opening any more so-called “convenience loan” establishments until they can develop an ordinance to limit their density. Well, it turns out that Springfield is writing just such an ordinance themselves. From the Springfield Journal-Register:

Springfield’s building and zoning commission Wednesday approved a recommendation to limit the placement and numbers of payday and title loan businesses in the city.

The amended proposal, which still has to be approved by the Springfield City Council, calls for a minimum of 1,500 feet rather than 750 feet, as previously suggested, between payday and title loan outlets. It also excludes finance companies from the new limitations.

The terminology involved, and preventing loopholes that would enable payday loan companies to call themselves something else and avoid the restrictions, took up a big part of the discussion during a public hearing Wednesday night.

If they’re not already, the city’s Planning & Growth department might benefit from interfacing with their counterparts in Springfield on this issue — not to make Peoria’s ordinance the same as the capital’s, but just for the purposes of covering all the bases and closing any conceivable loopholes.