News from Colorado Senior Lobby

www.ColoradoSeniorLobby.org

April 2020

Greetings! We live in interesting times (to say the least). Every day seems to bring different news headlines, and most are about COVID-19 and the economic impact of this pandemic. Imagine the relief we will feel when as a country and a global economy, we get on the other side of this. For now we are sharing the news that we think is most important - so below are the articles that have caught our attention - and we are starting with the bright spot for older adults - The Older Americans Act (OAA) has been reauthorized!

Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act - Finally, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has been reauthorized. This Act provides funds for a variety of very important services for older adults. From funding meal programs to senior centers to job training for older adults to health living programs, transportation. and much more. President Donald Trump signed the Supporting Older American Act of 2020 into law on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - READ MORE

Source: National Council on Aging (NCOA) - https://www.ncoa.org/

Complete your 2020 Census - This is important to Colorado - The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location - READ MORE

Source: United States Census 2020 - https://2020census.gov/en.html

Colorado lawmakers set date for return, hoping the worst of the coronavirus will pass - "The General Assembly tentatively plans to resume the legislative session May 18 after a two-month hiatus amid the coronavirus. The Democratic leadership set the date during a meeting Wednesday at the closed state Capitol but suggested it may change depending on the status of the public health crisis ..." - READ MORE

Source: Colorado Sun - https://coloradosun.com/

From your neighbors in the mountains: Please don’t come to visit right now - "...We are asking visitors to stay at home and not visit or relocate to Estes Valley during these tough times. The Estes Park community is at risk just like every community in the U.S. Our one hospital, Estes Park Health, needs its current healthcare resources to stay healthy so that we can, in turn, care for the Estes community. Like you, we want to protect our families, friends, and neighbors from COVID-19 ..." - READ MORE (and this applies to all of our lovely rural Colorado communities)

Source: State of Colorado - https://covid19.colorado.gov/

Information from CDHC on the Outbreak of COVID-19 - The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our Local Public Health Agencies (LPHA) and our communities to provide updated information about COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). Visit our Colorado website about COVID-19 - READ MORE

Source: State of Colorado - https://covid19.colorado.gov/

What's Inside The Senate's $2 Trillion Coronavirus Aid Package - "The Senate has passed a roughly $2 trillion coronavirus response bill intended to speed relief across the American economy. This is the third aid package from Congress and is meant to keep businesses and individuals afloat during an unprecedented freeze on the majority of American life. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., described the legislation, known as the CARES Act, as necessary emergency relief and vowed to put partisanship aside to get it done ..." - READ MORE

Source: NPR - https://www.npr.org/

Congress Approves Economic Relief Plan for Individuals and Businesses - "On Friday afternoon, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed the House of Representatives by a voice vote. The President then signed the bill into law. The bill builds upon earlier versions of the CARES Act and is intended to be a third round of federal government support in the wake of the coronavirus public health crisis and associated economic fallout, succeeding the $8.3 billion in public health support passed two weeks ago and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. It is the product of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans for a bipartisan response to the crisis ..." - READ MORE

Source: Tax Foundation - https://taxfoundation.org/

Colorado and the COVID-19 Recession - "On March 5, the first reported case of COVID-19 was reported in Colorado. By that time, the disease had already wreaked havoc on economies and health systems in China, Iran, and Italy. Less than a week later, Governor Jared Polis declared an official state of emergency and began announcing a series of sweeping public health policies designed to curb the spread of the virus. In addition to limiting public gatherings to 10 people or fewer, Polis ordered everything from the state’s ski industry to public dining in bars and restaurants to close. By March 25, Polis had issued a statewide “stay at home” order which, among other restrictions, limited business operations to those deemed essential. While public health officials across the world call these steps necessary to save millions of lives, they come at a massive cost to the livelihoods of workers and business owners ..." - READ MORE

Source: Colorado Fiscal Institute - https://www.coloradofiscal.org/

6 ways Congress’ $2 trillion aid package will help Coloradans weather coronavirus - "From one-time payments to student-loan help and the ability to take money out of retirement accounts without penalties, here’s how the measure will affect you. With Congress’ passage Friday of a $2 trillion aid package to help Americans weather the impacts of the new coronavirus, Coloradans will soon see a host of benefits geared toward getting them through the coming weeks and months. The 880-page stimulus bill, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump, includes at least $2.2 billion for the state and for local governments, as well as funds to directly help people in Colorado. Thousands are already out of work in the state and, with new restrictions on people’s movement going into effect on Thursday, the economic damage is likely to worsen dramatically ..." - READ MORE

Source: Colorado Sun - https://coloradosun.com/

I believe I said this last month, "So, what is next?" Honestly, we are not sure. But we know that Coloradans, people all over the U.S. and the world are strong and resilient. Be safe, stay well and let’s work together! We will get through this. Regards, Bob Brocker President – Colorado Senior Lobby 303 832-4535 303 862-8711 Email:  President@ColoradoSeniorLobby.org

Governor’s Community Engagement Update April 10th

"... the Governor addressed the press from the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The Convention Center is a Tier 3 facility. Work on this site began 48 hours ago and construction is ongoing. There are 300 people working on it right now and 400 will be working on it tomorrow. Most working on the convention center construction are Coloradans, and we thank the Army Corps of Engineers and all the civilian workers who are helping us to build this field hospital. This is Colorado leading the way! ..." - READ MORE

Next Legislative Planning Committee is Monday, April 27th

April 27, 2020 – Monday, 9:30AM – 11:30AM Colorado Senior Lobby Legislative Committee Meeting (LCM) Location: Call Conference Meeting with Zoom We are meeting on Monday, April 27th HOWEVER, we will only be using Zoom and call conferencing through Zoom. We will be still sending out the Sunday meeting reminder. Meeting Agenda to be determined - READ MORE

Webinar Events of Interest

Check out our website to learn more about interesting virtual events hosted by Active Minds, Boomers Leading Change, Ted Talks, OneDayU, Senior Planet and others - CLICK HERE

Have you joined for 2020?

We need your support more than ever.

Join Today - Individual & Family Memberships - CLICK HERE Join Today - Organizational Memberships - CLICK HERE Make a Donation to Colorado Senior Lobby - CLICK HERE

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