Keeping Tabs on State Legislators’ Votes

Do you know how your state legislator voted in 2013 on key issues that affect Floridians 50+?

AARP Florida is working to help equip Florida voters age 50+ with information about how state legislators have voted each session.  In the 2013 legislative session, AARP’s Florida advocates tracked votes on key issues ranging from Medicaid expansion to cracking down on abuse in assisted living facilities.  The 2013 voting record is available 53452 - Voting record 2013 Final 2 With New Cover.

“Every session, legislators decide issues that are very important for Floridians 50+,” said AARP Florida’s Jeff Johnson, state director.  “But it’s not always easy for you to figure out exactly how your legislator voted on issues important to you.  To make that research easier, AARP has collected legislators’ votes on key issues affecting older Floridians throughout the state legislative session.”

“In this process, we’ve heard from legislators on both sides of the aisle.  They know we’re watching them,” Johnson said.

The 53452 - Voting record 2013 Final 2 With New Cover tracks key legislative votes in 2013 on issues ranging from health-care coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act to texting while driving, reform of assisted living facilities regulation, consumer protections in utilities law and protection of voting rights.

As in 2013, AARP will alert legislators during the 2014 session that certain proposals will be considered key votes for the purposes of the voting-record project.  Because issues sometimes change or are defeated in legislative committees, AARP advocates will track the action in committees and on the floor of each legislative chamber, Johnson said.

Updates on legislative voting records may be posted on the AARP Florida webpage at www.aarp.org/fl.  In addition, AARP Florida may share updates with its hundreds of thousands of Florida members who are e-activists.