Mattiello, Paiva Weed and Raimondo address poverty today

It’s becoming somewhat of a tradition that one of the first media events of the legislative session is a call to action on poverty – a march to the State House led by interfaith leaders followed by speeches from the House speaker, Senate president and governor.

“The RI Interfaith Coalition, whose mission is to fight poverty with faith,” says this year’s press release, “believes that as people of faith they are called upon to hold their communities and themselves accountable to the moral standards of justice and compassion that are central to religious traditions.”

The march starts at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church across from the Providence Place Mall at 2pm and Governor Gina Raimondo, House Speaker Nick Mattiello and Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed are scheduled to speak at 3pm in the State House rotunda. Here’s what Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed said last year and this will be Raimondo’s and Mattiello’s first time addressing this audience publicly on poverty.

The Interfaith Coalition is advocating for “payday lending reform, family cash assistance, and homeless prevention legislation,” according to the press release. Bishop Nicholas Knisely of the Episcopal Church will be there, it said. His counterpart from the Catholic Church, Thomas Tobin, wasn’t mentioned.

Here’s a picture from last year: