North Dakota Bulletin State News

June 2008

Workers needed The legislature’s Interim Workforce Committee is drafting legislation for the 2009 session that aims to reduce worker shortages throughout the state. Lawmakers hope to remedy the situation by providing public policy incentives that could keep boomers in the workforce longer and persuade young people to remain in the state and out-of-staters to move in.  Recent figures from the state Job Service show more than 10,000 positions available, with vacancies in nearly every industry, including energy, teaching, health care, computers, customer service and truck driving.  AARP North Dakota encourages members to follow the committee’s progress by going to www.legis.nd.gov and clicking on “Current Interim Committees.”

March 2008

A touchy subject – One of the most difficult decisions many people face as they age is whether and when to give up their car keys. To make the subject easier for families to confront, AARP and the North Dakota Highway Patrol are offering seminars called “We Need to Talk: Family Conversations With Older Drivers.” Participants learn how to recognize warning signs of diminishing skills, deal with strong emotions and explore transportation options for keeping a former driver engaged in community life. “We’re not saying older drivers are bad drivers, just that we want to help people prevent accidents before they happen,” says Michael T. Gerhart, a Highway Patrol safety and education officer. For more information or a seminar schedule, go to www.aarp.org/nd or call 1-866-554-5383 toll free. To learn about AARP Driver Safety classes, visit www.aarp.org/driver_safety.

December 2007

Save your ink – AARP North Dakota is urging voters to think twice before signing any petitions that would put two measures on the 2008 ballot. One of the measures would cut corporate and individual income tax rates, while the other would restrict government spending increases. Those objectives may sound appealing, but AARP opposes both measures because they would hamstring state and local governments' and school boards' ability to respond to emergencies or shifting priorities."The rule of thumb is if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is," says Linda Wurtz, AARP associate state director for advocacy. "We encourage members to look beyond the one-line selling points for these petitions to the long-term impact they would have on North Dakota."