Blog
February 04, 2019
Weekly Retiree News Is Free
The Houston and Dallas TARA Chapters meet this Wednesday, February 6. If you live in these areas, you have received a separate email with details about the meetings.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
On Monday, March 11, 2019, TARA members will join Texas AFT for a big March On The Capitol for Public Education in Austin. We will make appointments to talk with our legislators about public education and also our senior issues. Those who attend will get specific information about lobbying and bills we should discuss with our legislators. Many TARA members likely have new legislators and if you need to know their names, please click on this link to find out both Austin and Washington names.
Who Represents Me–Home.
TARA chapters will discuss registration for this Lobby Day in their February meetings or you can visit this website www.texasaft.org for more information.
TARA MEMBERS TO VISIT CONGRESSPERSONS IN FEBRUARY
There are many senior/retiree issues being considered by Congress, with the main ones concerning Social Security and Medicare. The Alliance for Retired Americans is asking all our members to make appointments with their members of Congress to discuss these issues during their scheduled President’s Day Recess the week of February 18, 2019. Members will get information to discuss during their February meetings and links to the information will be included in next week’s Monday Alert. The link above also lists your member of Congress. With a number of new Congresspersons from Texas, it may be necessary to contact their Washington office for local office locations and phone numbers. TARA President Tony Padilla, who spent many years in Washington lobbying lawmakers for the IAM, says “It’s very important to schedule your appointment, be on time and to be well informed about the issues you wish to discuss. Be sure to have a specific ask on an issue and take notes on what is said. It is good to be able to meet with the member of Congress or Texas legislator, but meetings with a staff member can also be productive.”
LET THE VOTERS DECIDE TO EXPAND MEDICAID
TARA endorsed new Texas Senator Nathan Johnson recently filed bills to allow voters to make the decision to expand Medicaid and provide much needed health care for many Texans! Thank you Senator Johnson.
While the topic has been debated before, the experience of other states now provides the information we need to move forward. It is time to expand Medicaid. With the advantage of hindsight, we’ll do it in a manner that addresses legitimate concerns and works uniquely well for Texas.
Senator Johnson recently posted, “Today I filed SB 524 and SJR 34 to put the question of Medicaid expansion to the voters. Texas, let’s have the conversation.”
TARA has long advocated for Medicaid Expansion and is a part of the coalition Cover Texas Now. We will keep you posted about these bills and when to discuss them with your legislators. TARA Field Organizer Judy Bryant, a constituent of Senator Johnson, visited with him on the opening day of the Texas Legislative Session.
–Sincerely,
President Tony Padilla