Stay Involved: Your Calls and Letters Make a Difference

Your personal involvement can have a direct impact on legislation.

When you write or call, legislators listen, each year, thousands of AARP New Jersey members and volunteers help shape the course of legislative action by writing letters and calling their legislators. Often it is this personal involvement that makes the difference between success and failure when it comes to legislative initiatives.

There are many examples of this including 2003’s anti-telemarketing law. Did you know this bill almost failed to pass? The telemarketing industry lobbied against it vehemently, and the bill stalled in the Assembly. AARP activists came to the rescue and directed thousands of calls and letters to legislators resulting in the bill’s passage. This law is still considered the strongest of its kind in the nation.

More recently, AARP New Jersey sent the NJ State legislature a letter specifying AARP’s position on two important issues: FamilyCare and Medicaid co-pays. We urged our members to call and write as well. AARP was deeply concerned about the proposed Medicaid co-pays and the freeze on adult enrollment in NJ FamilyCare present in the FY 2010 budget. The result? The $9 million needed to preserve the original FamilyCare budget has remained intact and the Medicaid co-pays were eliminated.

You made the difference! Your voice counts. AARP urges you to stay in touch as we move into the next election season. There are many more issues of importance to our members that will surface and we hope we can count you on to work with us again.

Find more information about your state legislators online.