Having just attended our very successful Public Policy Workshop and Capitol Day (my seventh!), I am always so grateful of the level of volunteer service our members exhibit. LeadingAge Texas members visited with nearly 80 legislative offices at the Capitol this week. In a field that is so intertwined with government regulation and funding, this is a very important function that your colleagues undertook and we should all be thankful for their efforts.
I was also pleased that we had almost 30 nursing students attend our Public Policy Workshop on Sunday. In a field that so desperately needs qualified and dedicated people to serve, exposing students to the issues surrounding the field was a valuable teaching moment.
Chris Traylor, Deputy Commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, told the group that developing relationships with legislative offices is critical now and sets the stage for future legislative sessions. Nearly 40 percent of legislators are in their first or second term - an astounding number of people who are not well educated on the issues facing senior living and long-term care. Most do not know how much our field relies on government for funding and regulation.
We can only achieve our goals if we stick together and come forward as one group – linked with a common vision of improving care and housing for elder Texans.
So I join the rest of the membership in applauding those who took time out of their busy schedules to come down to the Capitol, meet with legislators and their staff, and tell their story in order to humanize the policies that will be discussed in the coming weeks.
This, like all legislative sessions, will be challenging. Please refer to our legislative agenda to see all the things for which we are advocating. I urge all of you to become involved particularly, over the next few months:
Your colleagues will be grateful for your volunteerism!
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George Linial, CAE, CASP
President & CEO, LeadingAge Texas
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