MEDIA ADVISORY
On Tuesday, February 27 at 11:00 a.m., clergy representing the Florida faith community will converge on the Capitol Building in Tallahassee to call on lawmakers to reject a payday loan expansion bill and instead to cap payday lending interest rates in the state, which are currently in the triple digits. The faith leaders will raise their voices on an issue that is at a critical impasse, as the payday lending bill, SB 920/HB 857, has moved quickly through several legislative committees. Representative Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville) will join the faith leaders at the conference.
The bills would allow payday lenders to make larger, longer debt traps at over 200% annual interest, adding another tool for predatory lenders operating in Florida. Payday lenders already extract over $300 million per year from the pockets of low-income families, and over 80% of payday loans in Florida go to people stuck in more 7 or more loans in a year. SB 920/HB 857 is roundly opposed in the state by the AARP, NAACP, the Archbishop of Miami and many others.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 27, 2018, 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Fourth floor Rotunda of the Florida Capitol, 400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Florida.
WHO:
- Florida Rep. Tracie Davis, Jacksonville (D-13)
- Rev. James T. Golden, AME Church of Florida
- Ingrid Delgado, Florida Catholic Conference
- Rev. Rachel Gunter Shapard, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida
- Rev. Dr. Russell Meyer, Florida Council of Churches
For more information, contact Rev. Rachel Gunter Shapard at [email protected].
