AARP Illinois and OLLI Host Legislative Breakfast in Peoria with Federal and State Officials

PEORIA, Ill. — Dozens of AARP members, volunteers and other Illinois residents pleaded with elected officials Tuesday to take action to address the high cost of prescription drugs, the state’s fiscal crisis and rising property taxes which are preventing older adults from living comfortably in this state.

“My neighbor recently moved to Indiana to go be with her daughter,” said Mary Patton, an AARP volunteer who joined the nearly 130 participants in a legislative breakfast addressing issues important to Illinoisians 50-plus.

Participating in the event was AARP Illinois State President Rosanna Márquez and State Senators Chuck Weaver (R- Senate District 37) and David Koehler (D-Senate District 46). The legislative breakfast was moderated by Brad McMillan, J.D., executive director of the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service, and co-hosted by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

McMillian, along with representatives from AARP and OLLI, tackled several important topics with the elected officials, including:
· Prescription drug price relief
· A plan to protect Social Security and Medicare
· Vision for making our communities more livable for people of all ages

“We are grateful for the legislators and constituents who brought their passion, ideas and willingness to work on behalf of older adults here today,” said Illinois Volunteer State President Rosanna Marquez. “Conversations like these are the first step in finding real solutions to the concerns of those 50+ and their families in Illinois.”

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members – including 1.7 million in Illinois - and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

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