Older Nebraskans will be keeping more of their hard-earned Social Security benefits even sooner, after Gov. Pete Ricketts signed Legislative Bill 873 into law.

All state income taxes on Social Security checks will now be eliminated by 2025, five years earlier than outlined in a measure passed last year.

Todd Stubbendieck, state director for AARP Nebraska, said dropping the tax is the right thing to do for nearly 350,000 Nebraska seniors facing rising prices at supermarkets and at the gas pump.

"This program was never designed to be a revenue raiser for the states," Stubbendieck explained. "This is hard-earned Social Security benefits, all of it should be in seniors' pockets spending how they want it to be spent."

Stubbendieck noted the vast majority of older Nebraskans are not wealthy with big pensions, they are middle-income people living on a fixed budget. Nearly 55% of beneficiaries rely on Social Security for half or more of their income, and about 28% rely on Social Security for at least 90% of their income.

Stubbendieck emphasized removing taxes from benefits will help Nebraskans live their retirement years independently and with dignity, and will also boost local economies. Nebraskans age 50 and older account for 56 cents out of every dollar spent in the state, creating an annual economic impact of $50 billion.

"We're past the point of savings, we're at the point of spending our savings," Stubbendieck stressed. "The dollars that are going to go into people's pockets because of this tax cut are going to be spent in our local economies, and are going to be a big economic driver in those communities."

Older Nebraskans will see immediate benefits from the measure, which reduces taxes on Social Security benefits this year by 40%. Next year, seniors will see an exemption of 60%. In 2024 the exemption rises to 80%, with all state taxes on benefits set to end in 2025.

More than 40% of older Michiganders live alone, and studies show the pandemic has exacerbated loneliness for many.

The State of Michigan has renewed a partnership with GetSetUp, an online learning platform, which can help seniors learn how to stay social and connected from home.

Kayla Smith, health promotion and wellness coordinator for the Michigan Bureau of Aging, Community Living and Supports, said the program has supported many older people in getting the hang of Zoom in a safe environment, and from there, all kinds of classes become available.

"There are a lot of classes that focus on health and wellness, and other topics," Smith explained. "Like the Detroit Hustle, which is a Michigan favorite. There are various morning fitness classes, and even a class on decluttering your home."

Smith added Michiganders who want to join the platform can go online to getsetup.io/michigan. If anyone wants to help a family member or friend start their own account, they can visit the website getsetupfriend.com to walk them through the process. The platform can also be accessed at any library, where library staff can answer questions.

Lawrence Kosik, co-founder and president of GetSetUp, started the platform to empower older adults with online learning and virtual education. He noted since the program started, Michigan learners have become educators themselves, teaching other classes on the platform. And in the first year of the partnership with the state, more than 108,000 people signed up.

"That whole peer-to-peer live interactive piece has been really wonderful," Kosik remarked. "And you not only learn the things that you want and need to learn, but you make friends, and you form groups, and you come back and take classes with those friends. So, we like to say that people come for the learning, but often times, they stay for the socialization."

He added GetSetUp was started before the pandemic, but met a key need during those long months of isolation, helping people learn how to do things from ordering groceries and medicines online, to doing their banking and using telehealth.

Through Friday, Maryland is hosting Protect Week, to help protect against elder financial abuse.

That's when someone illegally uses an older adult's assets without permission.

Jacke Schroeder is the director of elder abuse awareness and provides services to the survivors at CHANA in Baltimore. She said sometimes scammers target seniors with reduced mental capacity.

And if they lose their small monthly Social Security checks, it can be devastating.

"They can often end up in the emergency room because they didn't have their medicine, they didn't have food," said Schroeder. "We are spending billions of dollars on medical expenses for people who are ending up in those situations."

Protect Week kicks off on Monday with a virtual event, featuring state Attorney General Brian Frosh and Comptroller Peter Franchot, along with representatives from Adult Protective Services and the Department of Labor.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is Wednesday, June 15. AARP Maryland will also host experts for a tele-town hall then on spotting and stopping problems.

AARP Maryland's Associate State Director of Outreach Jennifer Holz said loved ones should watch for signs - like sudden defensiveness, especially when asked about who they're speaking to on the phone.

"Another one would be an older adult going into a bank with an individual and withdrawing all of their funds from their account," said Holz. "That's very, very unusual. When you start seeing a lot of money missing from accounts, you should definitely be looking out for that."

She said when an older adult starts to experience cognitive decline or an inability to manage their finances, they can be much more vulnerable.

Throughout the week, AARP is hosting paper shredding, to safely dispose of sensitive documents. For more information, or to connect to the online events, go to AARP Maryland's Facebook page.

Ahead of next Tuesday's primary election, new polling shows many Mainers are extremely motivated to vote, and reveals the issues that matter most to them.

More than 90% of Maine voters said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who supports protecting Medicare and Social Security from cuts.

Noël Bonam, state director of AARP Maine, which commissioned the poll, noted 88% of voters older than 50 said they plan to vote this midterm election, and said it is a big deal because usually, turnout is low in midterm elections.

"A lot of folks are really concerned about the increasing cost of everything," Bonam observed. "Inflation really came up as the number one issue across the board. Folks are very concerned about increasing costs, they're having to figure out how to pay for food versus gas versus utilities and prescription drugs."

He added with the cost of prescription drugs skyrocketing, many older Mainers take the question of allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices seriously. Among voters surveyed, 91% said they think the federal government should allow negotiations.

Among respondents, 60% said they plan to vote on Election Day, 12% said they'll vote early in-person, and 22% said they plan to vote by mail. Bonam pointed out for more information, voters can go to the Secretary of State's website, or aarp.org/mevotes.

"We want older voters to know how to vote and where to vote," Bonam explained. "And to know the position of the candidates before they vote. And it's also clear that older voters are looking for candidates who are coming to the table with solutions and not just talking about the problems."

According to the survey, Gov. Janet Mills narrowly leads her Republican opponent, former Gov. Paul LePage, 51% to 46%. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from District Two, narrowly leads former Representative Bruce Poliquin 50% to 43%, and First District Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree leads Republican opponent Ed Thelander 42% to 25%.