Happy New Year! As we start on the path of this new year, so too will Maine’s 132nd Legislature begin its new session. AARP Maine’s Tuesday at the State House (TASH) volunteers will be there advocating for policies and legislation that support Mainers 50-plus. As you may know, AARP’s advocacy work is strictly non-partisan. We support policies, not politicians, which allows AARP volunteers to create relationships with legislators on both sides of the political aisle.

This year, AARP Maine has identified a few key areas of interest to Maine citizens. The focus will be on policies related to family caregiving, financial resilience, livable communities, and consumer and individual rights and protections.

More specifically, AARP will focus on working with legislators to address the high cost of utilities and to support family caregivers. According to research conducted by AARP, 67% of Mainers have seen their electricity bill go up in the last twelve months. Continuing rate hikes are a concern for all Mainers especially retirees with a fixed income, and families trying to live within their budget. Caregiving is another important concern for Maine families. Many of us have been or are currently helping to care for family members. TASH volunteers and AARP staff will be working with our legislators to find solutions to support Maine’s 166,000 family caregivers.

Affordable housing and livable communities continue to be important legislative issues around the country and in Maine. TASH volunteers will continue to follow these topics and attend legislative hearings as Maine’s legislature begins its work in earnest.

One of the benefits of participating in the TASH meetings is the opportunity to see how our state legislature works. Maine is unique in that every bill proposed gets a hearing. All citizens are able to send written statements or deliver testimony about proposed bills to the appropriate committees or their legislators. We have found that Maine legislators are very interested in hearing from constituents, and in finding ways to address major issues of concern to AARP and all Maine citizens. Each and every voice has a chance to be heard and to make a difference in Maine.

To learn more about AARP’s advocacy work, please check out aarp.org/me. AARP’s local Coffee Talks will be starting back up in January after the first of the year. We hope to see you there!

Please use the web address, aarp.org/me, to find more information about AARP Maine and events near you.