AARP Colorado Gets Proactive

AARP Colorado sent out a mailing to its members about potential, upcoming legislation that could threaten telephone land-line service and possibly impact 911 emergency services.

“On behalf of our more than 650,000 members and the 50+ population at large, AARP Colorado is asking the members of the Colorado Legislature to oppose any bill that may cross their desks that would deregulate basic telephone services in Colorado and deregulate 911 service,” said Kelli Fritts, AARP Colorado advocacy director.

Fritts said Colorado is being proactive because legislation has been introduced to deregulate telephone service during nearly every legislative session for the last decade.

Last year’s bills, House Bill 1255 and Senate Bill 287, were designed to deregulate telephone service and take away any and all possible future local oversight of communications companies, which would have left consumers to fend for themselves.

The mailing was sent to AARP members in Colorado, asking that they call their senator and/or representative at 1-800-485-9401 and remind the lawmakers that any deregulation of land-line telephone service is unacceptable.

So far, a number of AARP members have called their senators or representatives to the point that some lawmakers are complaining because a bill has not yet been introduced. But AARP officials are simply informing their members that such legislation is not only possible but likely, “and our preference would be to prevent such bills from being introduced,” Fritts said.

AARP Colorado and its 26-member advocacy volunteer corps are known for opposing and supporting bills based on the impact the proposed laws could have on Coloradans 50-plus and their families.

[Photo Curtesy of © J. Lujan]