Advocacy

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon will spend time with AARP Wyoming members on December 9 at 6:30 p.m. during a TeleTown Hall phone call.

AARP Wyoming honored Mary Lynne Shickich of Casper with its 2019 Advocacy Award during its 2019 Volunteer Recognition Awards Dinner in Sheridan on Nov. 14.

In Wyoming approximately 74,000 family caregivers provided an estimated 62 million hours of care — worth a staggering $980 million — to their parents, spouses, partners, and friends in 2017, according to state data available in the latest report of AARP’s Valuing the Invaluable series. The complexity of family caregiving increases as medical and nursing tasks continue to enter the home, and family demographics change amidst an aging population.

Informing and listening to our members is critical to AARP Wyoming’s success

The State of Wyoming is spending big on long term care and other issues around aging and the subject has officially risen to the level of op priority for the Legislature’s Joint Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee.

Today, AARP announced the launch of ‘ Stop Rx Greed ,’ a nationwide campaign aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. The goal of AARP’s sustained campaign is to help drive down drug prices for Wyomingites and all Americans by advocating for a variety of legislative, executive, and regulatory actions at both the federal and state level.

In the legislative calendar, the last week or so of the session is spent lobbying lawmakers for interim topics. The process goes like this - the 10 joint committees (not including Journal or Rules) meet between four and six times per year between legislative sessions. They take testimony on issues and, if they decide to do so, turn that testimony into bill drafts for the next session. More often than not, bills that come out of committee have a much better chance of passing into law than bills sponsored by individual legislators.

To honor his integral work supporting Wyoming’s family caregivers, AARP names Wyoming Governor Matt Mead as 2018 “Capitol Caregiver,” a bipartisan group of 65 elected officials from 24 states. These leaders have advanced policies that support Wyoming’s family caregivers, who help their parents, spouses and other loved ones live independently at home and in the community—where they want to be.

Wyoming Senator Jim Anderson (R-Natrona County) is one of 20 leaders in state government around the nation named a Super Saver by AARP. The award is given to lawmakers, and other state government leaders who have worked hard to help Americans grow the savings they need for retirement.

Governor Matt Mead will join AARP Wyoming on Monday, Dec. 3 to take part in a TeleTown Hall with AARP Wyoming members around the state.