MADISON - Affirming that mutually shared, faith-based values have an important role to play in our democratic society, about 800 people of many denominations and faiths will gather in Madison on Wednesday, April 29, to speak with one voice on issues of poverty, inequality and injustice.

This day-long People of Faith United for Justice gathering is focused on the proposed Wisconsin State budget and will feature prominent keynote speakers, a march around the Capitol and visits with state legislators to discuss four main issues:

• Criminal Justice Reform
• Safety Net Issues (drug testing, Medicaid expansion, and long term care system --Family Care, IRIS and Aging & Disability Resource Centers -ADRCs).
• Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants
• Public Transit Issues, including preserving/expanding funding and keeping transit funding in the state transportation budget

The keynote speakers will be: Hannah Rosenthal, CEO/President of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and former Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism for the U.S. State Department; and the Rev. Everett Mitchell, Pastor of Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church in Madison and Director of Community Relations for UW-Madison. Rev. Mitchell holds Masters Degrees in Christian Ethics and Social Ethics from Princeton Theological Seminary.   Both speakers will be available for interviews at the conclusion of the plenary session, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church, 312 Wisconsin Ave.

People of diverse faiths will pray, learn, discuss and advocate together on these issues of importance to all the people of Wisconsin.  After educational workshops and lunch, participants will march to and around the Capitol about 1:30 p.m. before meeting with their legislators.

This biennial event has been planned and co-sponsored by nine organizations: Wisconsin Council of Churches, Wisconsin Faith Voices For Justice, Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin, Madison Area Urban Ministry, Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Jewish Federation of Madison, Wisconsin Jewish Conference and WISDOM.