Advocacy

State retirees paid into Social Security throughout their working lives and now count on it to make ends meet. What they don’t appreciate is having to pay state taxes on that vital retirement money. But Utah is one of 13 states that tax Social Security income.

Proposition 3, on the ballot this November, is an expansion of the Medicaid program, which is jointly funded by the Utah state and federal government. If passed, an additional 150,000 Utahns will have access to affordable healthcare through Medicaid, and it will bring $800 million of federal tax dollars Utahns already pay back into our state to pay for the expansion. The expansion will add approximately 14,000 new jobs, and this new economic activity will add $1.7 billion to Utah's economy.

State voters will decide Nov. 6 whether to extend health coverage to some 150,000 low-income residents by expanding Medicaid to people who exceed the current financial eligibility bar.

The legislative session that begins Jan. 22 is only 45 days long. AARP Utah is prepared to hit the ground running to advocate on behalf of family caregivers, retirees and other adults 50-plus. AARP staff and volunteers will be at the Capitol every day.

#SaveMyCare DAY OF ACTION ALERT

At AARP, we believe Medicare is a deal with the American people that must not be broken.

Your key Medicare questions, answered.

In a state whose legislative session is only 45 days, AARP stands ready to score some wins for state residents 50-plus when lawmakers meet beginning Jan. 23. AARP Utah’s legislative priorities for 2017 include retirement security, support for family caregivers and access to affordable health care.

It’s important that our future president has a plan to keep Social Security strong for generations to come. That’s why AARP has asked presidential candidates to Take A Stand on Social Security and commit to making it a priority during their term in office. For a real-time update on the statements made by the candidates, go to 2016takeastand.org.

It has been a whirlwind legislative session with a lot happening but as of last night it has come to a close. I want to thank you and all of the other great AARP advocates who stayed informed, got engaged, and made their voices heard to their legislators. I can’t stress enough that without your involvement, we could not do the work we do!