'Together Louisiana' leaders publicly handed out Bibles to Louisiana state legislators, asking them to read it before voting on a payday lending reform bill which would cap the number of times an individual can turn over a loan. Said Rev. Lee T. Wesley of Baton Rouge, "We took notice that some legislators wanted to make the Bible the state book...if legislators want to give the Bible special standing, they should start off by reading it."

One of 45 lobbyists paid to kill Senate Bill 84 revealed he was feeling "like a bug smashed against a windshield" today.

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When the Jackson mayoral campaign turned ugly, with a series of negative ads paid for by an organization that does not exist on paper, both candidates invoked the "clean elections" pact created by Working Together Jackson.

This commitment, that both candidates made, was leveraged during an accountability session that garnered additional pledges on: infrastructure, neighborhood renewal, workforce development and bridging long-standing racial, class and political divides in Jackson.

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PCIC clergy and leaders piled into City Hall to deliver a letter signed by 50 clergy requesting that the City not raise fares for low-income bus riders. The City Manager had proposed that Tucson double the fares of low-income people in addition to increasing all fares across the board. Bus riders and PCIC leaders filled the room while 60 listened from outside...

Concrete Example of Religious Leaders Standing Up for the Poor, Voces de Casa Maria

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"Interfaith members who met with The Times editorial board last week, said their interest in this legislation is about helping consumers avoid entering a debt loop they often find it difficult to escape from. Interfaith and other organizations around the state have joined forces as "Together Louisiana" to highlight the matter before the public and lawmakers.

'We are not asking that the payday industry be outlawed,' Interfaith members stated in a news release. 'Banks and credit unions have a cap on the number of loans one person can receive. We do not think it unreasonable that the payday industry should adhere to the same rules.'"

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Asserting that 9 out of 10 apartment owners indiscriminately ban Section 8 voucher users, Austin Interfaith clergy and lay leaders applauded the city council for introducing a proposal to prohibit apartment managers and owners from discriminating against Section 8 users. They described the resolution, introduced and passed on a Holy Day shared by Jewish and Christian traditions, an example of how the public can better protect the poor and most vulnerable.

Council Approves Housing Voucher Ordinance, KVUE-ABC

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Northern & Central Louisiana Interfaith leaders and clergy, joined by Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover, gathered on the State Office Building lawn to garner the support of local senators. Said Rev. Aaron Dobynes of Evergreen Baptist Church, "We have gathered here to urge our senators, Sen. (Greg) Tarver and Sen. (Sherri) Buffington to support this bill that says we need to reduce the kind of criminal interest that's being paid by many of these persons that have to secure payday loans."

Interfaith Seeks Support for Payday Lending Reforms, Shreveport Times

"About 20 years ago, hoping to encourage citizens to become active in the community, members of the religious institutions of the Pima County Interfaith Council (PCIC), spent a Sunday afternoon knocking on 10,000 doors, asking residents for their specific concerns..."

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Korean drums shook the cathedral as construction union Korean Tillers accompanied the gathering of rugby players, Catholic schoolchildren, and 1300 other members of the Sydney Alliance. The purpose? Political theater in three acts. Act 1: Tell stories. Act 2: Lay out agenda. Act 3: Invite Sydney Alliance delegates into campaign for change.

Sydney Alliance Launches Election Agenda, Sydney Alliance

One week after a public accountability session, in which leaders of 'Working Together Jackson' secured public pledges from Mayoral election runoff candidates Chokwe Lumumba and Tony Yarber, both candidates held a press conference promising they would run clean campaigns in the upcoming Jackson mayoral race. On the steps of City Hall, flanked by an out-sized letter of commitment signed by both candidates, Reverend Edward O'Connor announced and explained the pledge.

The previous week, both candidates agreed to assign top staff people to meet with WTJ leaders monthly, to ensure full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act in all infrastructure repair, to consider local contractors that hire locally in infrastructure projects, and to meet with Working Together Jackson within 60 days of taking office, to talk about creating a Jackson Workforce Development Institute.

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With the press calling it "the sleeper issue of the session," leaders from 'Together Louisiana,' stormed the Capitol to testify in Committee hearings and weigh in on legislative debate over how to address payday lending in Louisiana.

'Together Louisiana' leaders assert that payday lenders able to charge interest rates ten times higher than felony loan-sharking laws currently allow, making them "legal loan sharks." They want a cap on the annual interest rate for entering into short-term loans and are working with legislators to get one, in partnership with in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, AARP, the Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Louisiana Budget Project and the Southern Baptist Convention.

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