By Clint Confehr
On a 35-2 vote Tuesday night, Metro Nashville’s council defeated a proposal to close cash advance stores from midnight to 6 a.m.
The sponsor of the proposed ordinance concluded before the meeting that the bill could not pass on a second reading. Defeating a proposed ordinance on a second of three votes, instead of the third and final decision, is perceived as a relatively rare end to legislation by Metro Nashville’s City Council.
Councilman Jason Holleman shared his assessment of his bill’s viability with The Tennessee Tribune shortly after a council committee meeting where he was surrounded by nearly 30 employees of Advance Financial 24/7, the only business that would be affected by the bill. The committee issued a recommendation against passage of Holleman’s proposal to prevent cash advance stores from operating in predawn hours. There were at least another 30 people in the hall outside the committee room.
Advance Financial 24/7 President Michael Hodges was clearly pleased with the vote. If the bill became law, his operating hours would be limited to 18 instead of 24.
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