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Ohioans should give House Speaker Jon Husted of Kettering and fellow Republican Rep. Christopher R. Widener of Springfield three cheers, even an ovation, for standing up to payday-loan gouging.

True, there's many a slip between cup and lip, especially on Capitol Square in Columbus. Brass-knuckle lobbying by payday lenders moves now to the state Senate. But change is in the air as to payday lending, none too soon as a souring economy slaps more Ohioans around.

As a 1995 Ohio law now reads — a law so smelly then-Gov. George V. Voinovich, a Cleveland Republican, let it become law without his signature — payday lenders may crush Ohioans with an annual percentage rate of 391 percent on the money they borrow. Widener's bill, which passed because Husted made that happen, pushes down the payday-loan annual percentage rate (APR) maximum to 28 percent. That's even better than the 36 percent APR consumer advocates prayed for.

Husted built a cross-party loan-reform coalition ranging from conservative-when-it-wasn't-cool Medina Republican William G. Batchelder; to liberal Youngstown Democrat Robert F. Hagan; to Rep. Tyrone Yates, a key black Democrat from Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, Widener, who as recently as last weekend would have left a 391 percent APR ceiling in place in Ohio, took a second look. In politics, modifying a stance can take more guts than standing pat. Widener deserves full credit for stepping up.

On Wednesday's critical vote, Husted, Widener and 27 other Republicans joined with 40 Democrats to send the Ohio Senate Widener's reform bill. Voting "no" — to put it plainly, voting against Ohio consumers — were 21 Republicans and Democratic Reps. Fred Strahorn of Dayton, Eugene R. Miller of Cleveland, Kenny Yuko of Richmond Heights, Katherine Chandler of Kent and John Domenick of the Steubenville area. The one northeast Ohio Republican to vote against borrowers was Rep. John P. Hagan of Alliance.

Now the Ohio Senate, also Republican-run, must pass Widener's plan before Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, a supporter of payday-lending reform, can sign the proposal. On that front:

• A political action committee related to Advance America Cash Advance Centers Inc., a company which as of December had 244 Ohio payday lending storefronts, donated $2,000 last June to the Ohio Senate Republican Campaign Committee.

• The sponsor of the 1995 payday lending law, then-Rep. Robert Schuler, a Cincinnati Republican, is now a senator. The 1995 law is the law that lets payday lenders charge Ohioans a 391 percent APR. Republicans, including Schuler, rule the Senate 21-12.

• In another example of payday-lenders' bullying, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Rent-a-Center Inc. successfully threatened the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks for endorsing payday lending reform.

Rent-A-Center has pledged $500,000 in donations over four years to America's Second Harvest, a national network that includes the Ohio association. So Rent-A-Center forced the Ohio unit to yank its endorsement of the Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending. Of Rent-A-Center's 187 outlets in Ohio, 53 offer Rent-A-Center's Cash AdvantEdge payday loans. (That's synergy for you: Starve the poor and bankrupt 'em.)

Lenders' last resort might be a round of General Assembly good cop-bad cop, with the House playing "bad cop" and lobbying aimed at foiling the House with "good cop" senators. But for that to happen, Senate Republicans would have to do something they can't do: Throw overboard their November nominee for the Springfield area's 10th District. His name, in case you hadn't guessed it: Chris Widener.

Thomas Suddes is an adjunct assistant professor at Ohio University and his column appears in various Ohio newspapers. Send e-mail to tsuddes@gmail.com.

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