Seniors

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  • Repealed gift tax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.