By Marni Jameson, Orlando Sentinel

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

April 15–Prominent clergy leaders from acrossCentral Florida will gather Monday at the state capital to urge legislators to expand health coverage to 1 million uninsured Floridians.

Clergy will join veterans, community members and health-care workers in a prayer vigil and call on the legislature to “do what is morally and fiscally right for our state, and accept the money that has already been put aside forFlorida to expand health-insurance coverage,” said the Rev. Errol Thompson, pastor at Orlando’sNew Life Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

“We are going to our House leaders to pray on behalf of all hardworking Floridians not covered with health insurance, and to ask House leaders to follow the governor’s position,” said Thompson, chairman of People Improving Communities through Organizing United Florida.

PICO Florida will join other advocacy organizations that are part of the Healthcare for Florida Now campaign, including Service Employees International Union Florida and Florida CHAIN.

The House deliberates next week on whether to expand health coverage to 130,000 of the 1 million uninsured Floridians. Meanwhile, the Florida Senate is considering coverage that would fully insure Florida’s uninsured using federal Medicaid money, said Peter Phillips, PICO spokesman.

Clergy will pray and sing before moving on to the office of House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, where they plan to stage a sit-in and ask to meet with the speaker, Phillips said. Families will tell their stories, too.

Weatherford opposes accepting Medicaid money. Gov. Rick Scott now endorses the funding.

The Rev. Kevin Thorpe of Faith Missionary Baptist Church of Gainesville; Michael Sheedy, of the Florida Catholic Conference and the Rev. Darrell Kelly of Free Spirit Community Church in Panama City also plan to attend.

mjameson@tribune.com or 407-420-5158

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