State Association News

Arkansas Tim Collier, Past President of NPA and President of Arkansas Pawnbrokers

Association

The Arkansas Pawnbrokers Association helped with the passage of Senate Bill 336 which exempts sales and use tax from coins, currency and bullion. The Arkansas sales tax exemption takes effect on October 1, 2021. Meanwhile, similar bills are still pending in Ohio, Maine, Tennessee and New Jersey as the national backlash against taxing constitutional money continues. Including Arkansas, 40 U.S. states now fully, or partially, exempt gold and silver from the sales taxes. That leaves 10 states and the District of Columbia as the primary jurisdictions that still harshly penalize citizens seeking to protect their savings against the serial devaluation of the Federal Reserve Note. We worked two years ago and laid the groundwork and were able to finish the deal this session. With the session over, pawnbrokers can now concentrate on building their pawn balances and inventory ahead of the upcoming holiday season.

The Dixie Pawnbrokers Educational Conference and Trade Show takes place September 6-8, 2021, beginning on Labor Day Monday at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama. Anyone interested in attending may contact Tim Collier at 1-800-497-4548 for details.

Colorado Steven Adsit, President of Colorado Pawnbrokers Association

Colorado is still working hard at building a working association. We need help. Give us an email with a simple contact so we can keep you informed! stores.35@mmi-corp.com.

Georgia Lisa Little, CEO of Georgia Pawnbrokers Association

The Georgia Pawnbrokers Association member map is growing! The Legislative Session is over for 2021, and no significant pawn-related legislation was passed. Several Georgia members attended Pawn Expo and many are looking forward to attending the Dixie Convention. If you are interested in joining or supporting us, please visit us online at georgiapawnbrokers.org. Thanks to our Charter Industry Partners - Burrell Printing, Pawn Train, Pawnshop Consulting Group, United Refining, The Pawnbroker Network, Podium and Geib Refining.

Illinois Kelly Swisher, President of the Illinois Pawnbrokers Association

First of all, I would like to thank the NPA and the GRC for inviting me to speak on behalf of the Illinois Pawnbrokers Association at Pawn Expo. I had great conversations with many members about how what is happening in Illinois can just as easily happen in their home state, or the entire country. I think everyone realizes that our industry is a target for many politicians and consumer groups that have no clue what we do or who we serve. I think it was clear to everyone in attendance that educating our lawmakers should be the priority. In my opinion, everyone who made the trip to Texas should also attend the legislative conference in Washington, DC. Remember, it’s your livelihood at stake.

I would also like to thank ALL the members of the Illinois Pawnbrokers Association. If it were not for you, the pawn industry in Illinois would already be out of business. The dues you have paid and the support you give is allowing us to fight. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know we are facing the most serious threat to our industry that we have ever seen. The Illinois Pawnbrokers Association, the National Pawnbrokers Association, and three larger multi store operators are currently engaged in a lawsuit with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. We are fighting for our existence... your existence.

For those of you that are not members, you may think that you can just sit back and enjoy all the hard work that the association does on behalf of our members. The truth is you don’t even realize how much you lose by not being a member and participating. Proof of that is the sheer volume of calls I get, month after month, from non-members wondering what is going on and asking if they should “still write pawns.”

That confuses me. You have a state association that is here to protect your livelihood and is fighting for you and you choose not to join it? Yet when things are threatening you, you call and ask me to take my time to tell you what’s happening? Really? In the time it took you to call me you could have joined the association. We have meetings, emails, Zoom calls and phone conversations regularly. The association and its members are the ones that will shape the pawn industry that is to come. So as long as you are okay with letting someone else decide your future, there is nothing I can say to make you understand the mistake you are making. I will say... If you are not a member of the IPA, stop calling me for help. You obviously don’t care about your business, so why should I?

If you would like to be part of the conversation and help decide where the pawn industry is headed here in Illinois, please visit www.illinoispawn.org

If you are not already a member of the National Pawnbrokers Association, please join. If not for their help, I don’t think we could fight this battle here in Illinois. Don’t forget, the NPA is the only group that is fighting for our industry in Washington, DC. Please visit www.nationalpawnbrokers.org/.

Mississippi Nick Fulton, President of Mississippi Pawnbrokers Association

The Mississippi Pawnbrokers Association has been working on a new website which will soon be released. It is our hope moving forward to provide our members online training to assist them with continuing education, for those who cannot attend the conventions in person. It will cover many things such as inventory control, marketing, FFL and AML compliance. Since it has gotten harder, in these times, to meet in large groups, it will allow members to come and go as time permits. More updates coming soon. We have also been working with our legislators on a grassroots level throughout the year. We consider legislation our main focus for our members to protect them from new laws which could affect their business’s bottom line. Looking forward to serving on into 2022.

North Carolina Bob Moulton, President of North Carolina Pawnbrokers Association

“It’s hard to be a fireman without a fire!” We have been a victim of our own success in North Carolina. Our lobbyists have been able to steer us clear of any potential negative legislation before it could affect us. Therefore, many pawnbrokers in our state have stopped being members. We are trying to restart the N.C. Pawnbrokers Association. We need every pawnbroker to band together to help. Please contact moultonbob@yahoo.com as we have a roaring inferno on the horizon!

Ohio Raphael Tincher, President of Ohio Pawnbrokers Association

The OPA will have a membership meeting on October 10, 2021 in Columbus, OH. This will have a four-hour CE session attached to the meeting. November 14, 2021, will see another four-hour CE session at the same location

OUR GIFT TO YOU

TRANSPARENCY | TRUST | FINANCIAL STRENGTH | PEACE OF MIND

THREE 1 TR. OZ. FINE SILVER BARS WHEN YOU REFINE THE FIRST TIME WITH MID-STATES

OVER 35 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN GOLD, SILVER & PLATINUM REFINING

STATE-OF-THE-ART LAB ANALYSIS AND DIAMOND RECOVERY

IMMEDIATE CASH PAYMENT AVAILABLE

FULL TRANSPARENCY

IN-HOUSE TRADING DEPARTMENT

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

MID-STATES RECYCLING

1841 Busse Highway Des Plaines, IL 60016

847.298.0010

www.MidStatesRecycling.com

in Columbus (new Quest Center location, down the street from the old). Details will be forthcoming in August/September.

Rhode Island Cliff Frye, President of the Rhode Island Pawnbrokers Association

Here in RI, with the news of the Federal Rate Cap Legislation, we are working with our lobbyist to set up a meeting with a senator, who is a sponsor of the Bill, to educate him on the value of pawn and why it should not be included in the 36 APR Federal Rate Cap Legislation. The RI Pawnbrokers Association has been successful in the past procuring meets with Senators.

Oregon

Oregon is gearing up to have their Annual Pawnbroker Meeting on August 1, and it will be completed by the time this magazine is delivered. At that meeting we will be strategizing and organizing, alongside our lobbyist, regarding the 3% rate cap that US Senator Merkley from Oregon helped propose at the federal level. This proposal is at the top of our list of things to discuss as Oregon pawnbrokers need to present a united front for our industry and our clients.

Tennessee Gayle Ferebee, President of the Tennessee Pawnbrokers Association

TENNESSEE is on a roll! Through Phase One of our membership drive (snail-mail), MEMBERSHIP IS RE-BUILDING! Policies and procedures are being put in place to ensure the longevity of the TNPA (bookkeeping, record keeping, defined roles, etc.). Phase Two of our membership drive is underway...phone calls, second invitations to join, and in-store visits. We have (yet) to find a state lobbyist, but we are ready to stand behind the NPA, in rapidly GROWING numbers, and promoting NPA membership to aid in the watch for our industry. We are also working with our neighboring States’ Associations for education avenues that directly affect our members’ day to day operations.

Texas Cody Lee Lewis, President of the Texas Association of Pawnbrokers

What a pleasure it was to be the host state for the NPA Convention this year and having pawnbrokers from all over the nation in Fort Worth.

We are honored that our Association was given the “2021 Association of the Year” award. It takes commitment from a Great Board of Directors, along with dedicated Members, to make an Association work. The past two years have been tough. We would like to let all the other associations know we appreciate you doing your part to keep our industry strong. We have valued friends across the states! We truly have the best vendors. They work just as hard as associations do to keep pawnshops looking great in the public eye!

In 2021, we have updated our logo, improved our quarterly magazine and are in the process of updating our website again! Our 2021 Board of Directors were at the NPA Pawn Expo passing out koozies for our upcoming 25th Anniversary in 2022. So, if you have never visited one of our conventions, come check us out! In 2022, we will have a Casino Anniversary Bash on Friday night and, as always, lots of fun at our PAC Fund Auction on Saturday night. Our Auctioneer, Jack Bonds, is the best! He plans on retiring soon, so come see him in action! We are still working on our Seminars, but they are always informative!

Convention 2022 will be held February 25-27, 2022, at the Renaissance Hotel Richardson/Dallas! Watch for details on FB or our website www. texasassociationofpawnbrokers.com.

UTAH Randi Nell, Organizer

Utah is working toward setting up a new association. We are looking for a point of contact for each store. If you have interest in getting involved, please reach out to randi@bigdogpawn.com.