From the office of Senator Aric Putnam
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Since being proclaimed by President Ronald Regan in 1988, August 21 has been recognized annually as National Senior Citizens Day, a day to increase awareness of issues affecting older adults.
In recognition of the day and the issues facing seniors, Senator Aric Putnam (DFL – St. Cloud) is highlighting legislation passed in recent years that are making a positive impact on Minnesota’s seniors.
“Our seniors deserve stability and dignity in their lives, without having to worry about whether they can make ends meet,” said Sen.Putnam. “That means making sure seniors can afford to stay in their homes, put food on the table, and have the stability and security they need to stay in the communities they call home. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to lower costs and strengthen the resources seniors rely on so they can age with dignity and continue thrive in Minnesota.
Since 2023, Senator Putnam has helped deliver significant legislation to help lower costs and increase stability for seniors, including:
- Social Security: Passed Senator Putnam’s bill to make the largest Social Security tax cut in state history with 80% of Minnesota Social Security recipients paying no taxes on their benefits saving the average senior about $734 in taxes annually.
- Property Taxes and Renters Refunds:
- Increased homeowner property tax refunds by 20% in 2023 and 15% 2026, and expanded the Senior Citizen Property Tax Deferral Program,
- Made the renters’ property tax refund a direct income tax credit, helping more renters receive their benefit.
- Long Term Care: Invested in Minnesota’s nursing home workforce, provided $300 million in emergency funding for nursing homes, and revived the Critical Access Nursing Facility to support the most at-risk and geographically isolated nursing homes.
- Food Security: Invested almost $100 million since 2023 in food shelves, food banks, and other hunger relief efforts, another $11 million for senior meal programs, and $4.2 million toward the prepared meals program.
- Protections from Scams:
- Created a new Consumer Restitution account to help victims of scams and fraud recover their financial losses,
- Banned cryptocurrency kiosks that are used to target seniors,
- Strengthened protections against financial exploitation of seniors with trusted contact designations and other new tools.