AARP Michigan Delivers Legislative Agenda to Every Michigan Legislator

This week, just two months into its inaugural session, the members of the newly seated 102^nd Michigan Legislature received a 20-page legislative call to action from AARP, the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older.

The 2023 AARP Michigan State Legislative Agenda is an annual data-driven roadmap on policy issues that matter most to older Michiganders and their families. Approximately 3.9 million residents in Michigan are 50 and over, representing 39% of the state’s population. In November 2022, voters in this age demographic cast 60.17% of the total ballots in the state’s General Election.

In its agenda, AARP calls upon policymakers to:

• Repeal the retirement tax (achieved on 03-06-2023).
• Increase support for family caregivers through the creation of caregiver resource centers.
• Expand access to affordable and accessible housing.
• Increase access to services and home-based care so people can continue to live safely and independently in their own homes as they age.
• Protect the health, safety and rights of Michigan residents living in nursing homes and other long term care facilities by providing adequate staffing for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program which advocates on residents’ behalf.
• Lower prescription drug prices and provide transparency.
  

“Michigan is one of the fastest aging states in the country and by 2030, the number of Michiganders over the age of 50 is expected to exceed those under 18 for the first time in our history,” said AARP Michigan State Director Paula Cunningham. “We must be ready to meet the needs of this aging population and that’s the intent behind the priorities in our legislative agenda. Our value is in our ability to drive momentum on issues that impact older Michiganders and that’s precisely what we intend to do with the support of our membership and our legion of volunteers.”


Statewide, AARP Michigan has 1.25 million members and more than 300 volunteers, including a frontline corps of advocacy volunteers who meet with legislators, provide committee testimony, rally on social media and more.