Gail Stokes elected to serve on the South Carolina Silver Haired Legislature

We are pleased to announce that our Upstate Editor, Gail Stokes, has been elected to serve a two year term on the South Carolina Silver Haired Legislature as a representative of the Greenville Appalachian Caucus. The Silver Haired Legislature was created by the General Assembly, initiated in the House of Representatives, and signed into law by Governor James H. Hodges in 1999. Focus groups involved in the forming of the SC Silver Haired Legislature were the SC Area Agencies on Aging Association, the SC Council on Aging Directors Association, the SC Federation for Older Americans, and the SC Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of Senior and Long Term Care.

The SC Silver Haired Legislature was created:

• To identify issues, concerns, and possible solutions for problems facing the aging population in South Carolina;

• To make recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, and various Departments and Agencies on Aging;

• To arrange for and participate in educational forums to explore issues related to older South Carolinians;

• To promote good government for all South Carolinians;

• To carry out all purposes and activities on a nonpartisan basis;

• To conduct general assembly sessions annually in the State Capitol.

Members of each caucus prepare resolutions to be presented to the Speaker, who then, based on the topics, assigns them to six legislative committees. All Representatives participate as the committees debate their resolutions and submit those that are approved to the Speaker. The resolutions are distributed to the Representatives for discussion, voting, and listing in priority order at the annual legislative session held every year in September. The final approved resolutions are presented to the SC General Assembly, the Governor, and others in South Carolina.

Just another way that All About Seniors is staying in tune with and doing our part to make a difference in the lives of our senior population!