(Spencer)– The Older Iowans Legislature is out with its top five bills they’ll be promoting during the upcoming legislative session.
Four delegates from northwest Iowa attended the Older Iowans Legislature September 27th and 28th in the House chambers in Des Moines.
The top five bills include parity reimbursement to providers of home and community-based services and appropriate funding for those services; funding for all unmet needs; expansion of an elder abuse initiative across the state; programs for preventing mental illness and promotion of mental wellness; and property tax relief for low income older Iowans.
Delegates from northwest Iowa that attended the session include Ruth Caswell of Rock Rapids, Mabel Mantel of Orange City, Mike Otto of Paullina and Jack Ryan of Spencer.
On a related note, the Northwest Aging Association, who sponsored the delegates in Des Moines, will hold its annual legislative forum Thursday, October 14th at 9:00 a.m. at Hope Reformed Church in Spencer. A report will be given on the recent Older Iowans Legislature. Organizers say legislators and any candidates in attendance will have an opportunity to comment on the issues. The floor will then be open to questions from the public.
The forum is open to anyone with an interest affecting older Iowans, including service providers, caregivers, advocates, community leaders, older Iowans, healthcare workers, and so on.
