Advocacy

ST. PAUL – With the 2015 legislative session underway, AARP’s focus will once again be to support Minnesota’s unpaid family caregivers as well as the more than one million people in our state who are struggling to save for retirement.

Congressional District Leaders will take on a variety of interesting projects in partnership with a fellow co-leader(s) to extend AARP’s network throughout all areas of the state. We anticipate that Co-Leaders will devote an average of 20 hours a month to this work, although some months will be busier or slower than others. It is possible for a volunteer to be a Co-Lead while also doing another volunteer position with AARP such as being a Fraud Fighter, Life Reimagined Guide or Driver Safety Instructor.

An excerpt from Christeen’s story: As a 94 year of age widow ,of five years, I have been a "receiver" from my daughter who as a single mom, did a wonderful job of raising three sons alone. My husband needed home care for several months, then had Home Hospice care for three weeks before he passed away. My daughter is a Home Health Nurse-Case Manager and supplied the help needed to keep him home. She now gives me the needed help to live in the home I bought 70 years ago, which makes it possible to be independent since she lives next door to me and has for 34 years.

Kathryn LeRoy LeBrasseur of Alexandria was presented with the 2014 AARP Minnesota Andrus Award for Community Service at an awards reception held at the Senior Community Center today. The award honors Minnesotans over the age of 50 who are sharing their experience, talent, and skills to enrich the lives of their community members. As part of the award, AARP made a $1,000 donation to the Alexandria Senior Community Center.

AARP recently released an economic analysis, compiled by Oxford Economics, which sought to quantify the economic impact of American consumers over the age of 50 years of age. Dubbed the "Longevity Economy" the report looks at the sum of all economic activity serving the needs of Americans over 50 and including both the products and services they purchase directly and the further economic activity this spending generates.

Xcel Energy is asking more than 1 million Minnesota residents to pay 12.5% more for their electricity over the next two years. The price hike will increase the average Xcel customer's bill by $123 by 2016. Rather than simply accepting their ever increasing utility bills, hundreds of Minnesotans are making their voices heard at the Public Utilities Commission. Here are two individuals who shared their stories with us.

Right now, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is considering a request by Xcel Energy to increase the electric bills of around 1 million consumers by 12.5%

ST.PAUL -- AARP Minnesota today announced the appointment of Jim Scheibel of St. Paul to the two-year position of State President – the highest state-level volunteer position within the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has more than 650,000 members statewide and nearly 40 million members nationwide. Scheibel, the former mayor of St. Paul, was appointed to the position by AARP Midwest Regional Volunteer Director Dean Clough,and will begin his role immediately.

AARP’s priority this session was fighting for legislation that addresses the financial security of the 50+ population.

ST.PAUL -- AARP Minnesota today unveiled a statewide survey that showed a growing concern over retirement savings in the Gopher State. The survey engaged 1,000 Minnesotans over the age of 45 and found that 76 percent felt that they have not yet saved enough to retire and 72 percent support the idea of a state created retirement plan for those who lack access at their place of work.