At April’s Senior Network meeting in Fort Collins, Kelli Fritts, AARP’s Asso. State Director and Advocacy Representative, provided legislative updates on AARP’s initiative to help seniors with better living.
Some of the issues AARP is currently following are state and Federal bills that support working Coloradoans with alternative retirement plans, giving the state more budget flexibility, telecom issues related to 911 calls, and keeping Social Security financially sound.
Kelli Fritts
Kelli emphasized Colorado’s TABOR law actually hurts seniors with too many restrictions on budgeting beneficial programs. TABOR promotes maintaining our highways, civil protections, and our K-12 education system. Although budgeting controls are a necessary evil, AARP is trying to modify TABOR’s rules to help budget beneficial senior programs. A proposed November ballot if passed will modify the TABOR rules to help fund senior programs. Current Colorado house and senate bills will also regulate 911 services, which will affect minimum downtime which is currently at two hours (opposed by telcos), and create alternative retirement plans (opposed by financial institutions) for any employee, also supported by AARP.
AARP is trying to modify Social Security funding for the next senior generation. Many Congress members don’t want to resolve this problem, but benefits could decrease automatically by 25% or more by 2034, which is a reduction of $10,000 for most Americans. Social security needs increased funding soon to ensure future generations have a basic retirement plan.
Be sure to tell your state legislatures and federal congress members your concerns about these matters.
Kelli joined AARP in 2001. She received an advocacy award from the Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging for her work on legislation to increase funding for senior services and affordable drug legislation.