'Moral Monday' protesters arrested at Georgia Capitol

Monday, January 27, 2014

photo A police officer watches over a protest calling for an expansion to Medicaid outside the State Capitol on the first day of the legislative session on Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, in Atlanta. The protest marking the start of the "Moral Monday" movement in Georgia, aims to put pressure on Gov. Nathan Deal to expand Medicaid under the federal health care law.

ATLANTA - A group of protesters who gathered in Gov. Nathan Deal's office and refused to leave have been arrested.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Democratic state Sen. Vincent Fort, of Atlanta, was among those who was arrested after refusing orders from police to leave Deal's office. The protesters are part of a group called Moral Monday, which has been pushing for Deal to expand the state's Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.

Deal has said previously that the state can't afford to expand the program and some Democratic lawmakers have said the federal government would cover most of the cost and hundreds of thousands of Georgians would qualify for health care coverage if the program were expanded.