PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – Religious leaders in Rhode Island are asking the state’s politicians to pass bills this year to address poverty.

Members of the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty marched to the Statehouse and gathered in the rotunda Tuesday, prior to the opening of the new legislative session.

The coalition said it wanted to remind elected officials of a responsibility toward the most vulnerable.

The coalition’s legislative priorities include raising the minimum wage and increasing state funding for affordable housing.

The House speaker said lawmakers will produce a balanced budget that addresses all of society’s needs.