MADISON, Wis. – The Boy Scouts' motto "Be Prepared" is a good one to keep in mind leading up to the state's presidential primary on April 5th, according to Helen Marks Dicks, state issues advocacy director with AARP Wisconsin.

She says it seems two camps have emerged regarding Wisconsin's newly-enforced law requiring a photo ID to vote: those who are worried they won't have proper ID, and those who aren't concerned, but should be.

Dicks says don't wait, take action now. Call your city or county clerk and find out if your ID will be sufficient.

"Because if you do it now, you either are going to end up assured that you are ready, or if you need to do something, you have time to do it,” she states. “You shouldn't start fretting about this the week before the election."

Dicks says it would be a shame if voters were turned away at the polls simply because they didn't take time to familiarize themselves with the new law and have the proper ID to vote.

AARP Wisconsin has posted the basics on its website, or voters can get information by calling the state's Voter Help Line at 1-866-VOTE-WIS.

Dicks says many families will have an older member, like Great Uncle Ole, who says he doesn't need to have ID because he's voted at the same place for 50 years and "everybody knows him."

"The ladies at the polling place are going to be very nice to him,” Dicks assures. “They're going to say, 'Ole, we're so happy to see you, but sorry, we can't let you vote unless you have one of the approved identifications.'"

Dicks adds in many ways, senior citizens are the most vulnerable when it comes to having an acceptable voter ID, but says there's no reason to panic.

"Call your city clerk or your county clerk, and just ask them if what you have would work,” she advises. “And if not, then you contact the Department of Motor Vehicles. Do it step by step. You might find you are not someone who has to go forward and get a new ID."

In most cases, a Wisconsin driver's license is sufficient. But as Dicks points out, senior citizens are among the most likely not to have a current driver's license.

"But many of them have passports, and many of them have that kind of identification that they could use,” she points out. “And even if your driver's license has expired, as long as it was good on 11-4-2014, it's still good for the purposes of letting you vote."



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A new national survey says one in five Americans 50 and older has nothing in savings for retirement.

Wisconsin workers young and old are being urged to take action now, to avoid added financial stress in their later years.

The survey results were issued by AARP this month.

Just affording basic expenses right now is a concern for many. But AARP Wisconsin's Communications Director Jim Flaherty said you don't want to be caught off guard when retirement nears.

He acknowledged that it can be hard for younger adults to plan that far ahead, when they're juggling expenses like student loan debt - or for older individuals managing costly medications, and higher grocery bills.

"A lot of times, because they're just trying to get by and they do have to live paycheck-to-paycheck," said Flaherty. "But this is one way to say, 'Hey, if you can live with a little less from your paycheck every week, that will sure grow.'"

Researchers note that 57 million Americans don't have access to a retirement plan through their work.

Wisconsin has not yet joined the list of states that have created state-operated retirement accounts, where employers and their workers can contribute money each pay period.

Supporters hope the issue is revisited next legislative session.

Flaherty said a combination of individuals being proactive and policymakers easing household budget pressure can hopefully put more people on a path toward a healthy retirement.

He said making progress can deter them from looking elsewhere to spend their golden years.

"Let's have an infrastructure that makes drugs affordable, that makes healthcare affordable, that makes retirement savings something that's part of their plan," said Flaherty. "And that'll keep Wisconsinites here."

And groups like AARP have encouraged Congress to address long-term stability concerns for Social Security, so that younger workers can anticipate full benefits.

Some Republican lawmakers have floated cuts, but senior advocates contend any solutions to make the program stronger should not be tied to deficit talks.

Oregon is working to address the state's digital divide with hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.

Infrastructure presents the largest challenges for connecting people in Oregon to high-speed broadband internet.

Nick Batz, director of the Oregon Broadband Office, said there are more than 170,000 residencies in the state with no or slow internet access.

"Our goal through the broadband office and with all our stakeholders throughout Oregon is to provide access to all 112,000 unserved locations and as many of the 60,000 underserved locations as we can," Batz explained.

The state has received federal funding from a variety of sources, including nearly $690 million from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, and more than $150 million from the Capital Projects Fund approved in the American Rescue Plan Act from 2021.

Oregon's Digital Equity Plan has also been approved and along with it, nearly $10 million in funding.

Bandana Shrestha, state director of AARP Oregon, said there was a time when high-speed broadband internet was considered a luxury.

"Now, it's such a big necessity for everyone, including for older adults," Shrestha pointed out. "Because we know that if you don't have connectivity, you're not going to be able to see your doctor when you want to. Telemedicine is not going to be possible."

Batz added his office is working to ensure every Oregonian can get on the internet.

"It is an interesting challenge," Batz observed. "Nothing has been done like this in Oregon's history of trying to get internet access to everybody. So, it's going to be quite the challenge and it's absolutely going to require participation from everybody to make this happen."

Nursing homes across South Dakota will soon receive a boost in support, as part of the most recent legislative session.

Facilities caring for Medicaid recipients are reimbursed by the state for some of the cost. Reimbursement rates have been calculated based on patient needs, occupancy and funds available in the state budget. Last year, the South Dakota Legislature increased the rate from about 75% to 100%.

House Bill 1167 now allows the Medicaid reimbursement rate to be adjusted annually, to keep up with inflation and other changes.

Erik Nelson, advocacy director for AARP South Dakota, is glad lawmakers are giving nursing homes attention.

"We have seen a number of nursing homes close in recent years," Nelson pointed out. "Financial considerations were a factor in that, along with workforce and some other issues."

Since 2019, 15 nursing homes have closed across the state, with six of the remaining 98 on a federal list of facilities not meeting basic standards of care. In addition to a lack of funding, the average staff turnover rate is 54%.

State lawmakers also approved the use of $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding toward expanding telehealth services in facilities including nursing homes, allowing patients to receive some health care services remotely.

Nelson noted telehealth is one way to supply needed support.

"For not only the residents, but the family caregivers that are supporting their loved ones in the nursing homes," Nelson emphasized. "And of course, the staff of the nursing home that's in the community."

Census data show South Dakota's population is aging and by 2030, one-fifth of residents will be older than 65.