AARP NEW YORK SUMMER STATE LEGISLATIVE TOUR ASKS MEMBERS: 'WAS YOUR VOICE HEARD?'

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Jun 29, 2010, 05:16 ET

AARP Members Find Out During Summer State Legislative Tour

ALBANY, N.Y., June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP New York today announced a summer-long statewide tour to report the outcomes of the 2010 state legislative session to its millions of New York State members, activists and volunteers.

Through a host of venues, including AARP chapter meetings, issue briefings, tele-town halls, webinars, public forums, social networking sites and press conferences, AARP NY members and volunteers will learn about what got done and what didn't during the 2010 state legislative session.

"Over the last six months, we've been writing to and talking with our 2 million plus members and thousands of volunteers in New York State about issues before the state legislature that are important to older New Yorkers, their families and their communities," said AARP NY State Director Lois Aronstein.

"AARP believes it is very important that we tell our membership what happens in Albany," continued Aronstein. "Our members and volunteers have made thousands of phone calls, written thousands of letters and made hundreds of visits to state legislative offices regarding our legislative priorities. Now it's time for us to inform our members about what was and wasn't accomplished by the state legislature."

During the tour's events and activities, members will get answers to questions they have regarding AARP's 2010 state legislative priority issues, such as:

Did the legislature pass legislation to make all of our roads and streets safer for everyone?
What will the drastic cuts to kincare programs mean for grandparents raising their grandchildren?
Will the new EPIC three-day-emergency-supply rule cause seniors to worry about access to their prescription drugs?

Issues to be covered include:

Aging Services

Complete Streets

Debt Collection

Energy

EPIC

Kincare

Long-Term Care

Nutritional Assistance

...and More.

"A lot goes on during the state legislative session – some of it is good for older New Yorkers and some of it is not," Aronstein concluded. "Our goal is to make New York State one of the best places to live, work and retire. To achieve that, we need our members and their families fully engaged in the issues that are important to their health, economic security and quality of life as they grow older."

Below is a listing of sites for the AARP NY "Was Your Voice Heard?" Tour.

July 12 - Buffalo

July 19 - Fairport

July 19 - Rochester

July 21 - Albany

July 21 - Syracuse

July 23 - Staten Island

July 26 - Massapequa

July 27 - Canton

July 27 - Hauppauge

July 28 - Watertown

July 30 - Utica

July 30 - Oneida

August 3 - Ithaca

August 10 - Babylon

August 11 - Bellerose

August 13 - Garden City

August 23 - Bayport

August 24 - Binghamton

August 24 - Calverton

For more information about AARP NY "Was Your Voice Heard" activities, call 866-227-7442.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.7 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

SOURCE AARP New York