AARP Maryland Volunteers Bring Concerns to Annapolis: Lobby Day to Focus on Marylanders Aged 50-Plus

ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 4, 2024)— A red tide of AARP Maryland members will converge on Annapolis this Thursday, March 7, for the organization’s annual lobby day to connect with lawmakers and raise awareness of issues of importance to Marylanders aged 50 and over, including prescription drug affordability, support for family caregivers, long-term care oversight, consumer protections, affordable gas and electric and retiree tax relief.

“Lobby Day offers our members an opportunity to engage one on one with their elected representatives, to make sure they know where we stand on issues of concern,” says Hank Greenberg, AARP Maryland state director. “It's important for our volunteers to see their elected representatives at work and for lawmakers to hear directly from their constituents.

Throughout the 90-day legislative session, AARP Maryland staff and advocacy volunteers track legislation, draft and deliver testimony. To date during the 2024 session, AARP Maryland staff and volunteer advocates are following 110 bills, and have testified at 75 committee hearings. Volunteers are also regular fixtures at weekly county delegation meetings, virtually and in-person. They hold virtual meetings every Friday to share updates, offer insight and prepare strategy for the upcoming week.

AARP advocacy volunteers are likewise vocal about federal issues, such as protecting Social Security and Medicare and bringing down the cost of prescription drugs.

“I enjoy Lobby Day because I can personally let legislators know that older Marylanders have eyes on them," said AARP Maryland Executive Council member and advocacy volunteer Karen Morgan. "And that we vote," she continued, noting that 62% of Maryland voters in 2022 were over the age of 50.

“We can’t possibly achieve all that we do without the passion and drive of our volunteer advocacy corps,” said Tammy Bresnahan, AARP Maryland’s advocacy director. “They are deeply knowledgeable about the legislative process and bring with them decades of professional experience in fields such as behavioral health, medicine, law, public policy and education. They are also able to speak personally as retirees, family caregivers, parents and grandparents, about how legislation will affect them and their families on a daily basis.”

About AARP Maryland
With nearly 850,000 members in Maryland and 38 million across the country, AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.