Aging in Place

Seniors should be able to stay in their communities as they age. I will fight to ensure seniors have access to needed services and appropriate housing.

• Access to public transportation.
• Access to senior services and senior centers.
• Affordable accessible housing and tax breaks to allow seniors to stay in their homes.
• Ensuring our communities are safe and livable.

In 2013-2014, we made progress on accomplishing those goals:

Tax relief

• Provided $177 million in direct property tax relief
• Simplified estate tax and increased estate tax exemption
• Repealed gift tax
• Extended disabled veterans property tax benefit for spouses
• For the future: reverse the increased dependence on property tax vs. income tax of the last decade

Quality of Life

• Invested $100 million in affordable housing
• Established statewide stroke ready hospital system
• Allowed designated agents on bank accounts to perform banking tasks (Previously only co-ownership was allowed)
• Made voting easier with the no excuses absentee ballot
• Provided 5% rate increase for home-care workers and nursing home providers

Security

• Modified Power of Attorney forms to prevent financial exploitation
• Improved regulations for wire transfers to prevent fraud

In 2015-2016, we continued some progress with the addition of a House committee on Aging and Long-term Care:

• Established statewide designated STEMI heart attack ready hospital system
• Required emergency medical responders to transport stroke victims to designated stroke ready hospitals
• Restructured nursing home reimbursement system to better reflect costs
• Allowed hospital patients todesignate a caregiver to receive information and care instructions
• Protected individual rights to accessibility in public facilities while reducing frivolous lawsuits against businesses

However, the gridlock of the session left many things undone:

• Additional rate increases for care providers so good employees can be retained, reducing turnover
• Providing adequate, stable transportation funding for both highways and improved public transit access in our district
• Controlling college tuition increases and reducing student debt, so parents don't go into retirement still paying for their children's education
• Reversing the increased dependence on property tax vs. income tax of the last decade, to help people on fixed incomes stay in their homes.