The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging announces the opening of the filing period for the special election of either one senior senator or one senior assembly member to serve on the California Senior Legislature. This election is being held in conjunction with the early retirement of a current representative. The individual elected will serve through June 30, 2010.

The election will be held on January 14, 2009, when eligible voting members of the Area Agency on Aging’s Advisory Council cast their ballots. Each candidate will be asked to address the Advisory Council before the ballots are cast.

Candidates for the California Senior Legislature must be aged 60 years or older on the date of the election, and be registered to vote in and a resident of Ventura County. To qualify for the ballot, candidates must submit a completed Candidate Nomination Packet. The packet includes a ballot petition in support of the candidate’s nomination, which must be signed by a minimum of 25 individuals aged 60 years or older who are registered to vote in Ventura County.

The packet can be downloaded from http://aaa.countyofventura.org, by selecting What’s New, then Publications. It can be picked up during regular business hours from the Area Agency on Aging’s office located at 646 County Square Drive, Suite 100, Ventura, CA. To request the packet by U.S. mail or e-mail, call (805) 477-7305. The completed nomination packet must be received in the Area Agency on Aging’s office by 4:00 p.m. on November 7, 2008.

A candidate should have knowledge of and willingness to advocate for issues affecting seniors in Ventura County. The person elected will be expected to meet with senior constituents, develop and draft legislative proposals for the California Senior Legislature session held each October, testify at hearings and activate letter and phone campaigns in support of priority proposals, and to serve on the Area Agency on Aging’s Advisory Council, which includes active participation on its Legislative Committee.

The purpose of the California Senior Legislature is to identify priority concerns of seniors, develop legislative proposals in response to those concerns and to advocate for the inclusion of those concerns in legislative proposals of the State legislature.

Since its formation in 1980, the California Senior Legislature has enjoyed a significant success rate on the passage of priority legislation that has impacted nursing home reform, adult day health care, Alzheimer’s programs, transportation for frail elderly, elder abuse, Medicare assistance programs, veterans’ issues, crimes against the elderly and much more. For more information about the California Senior Legislature, go to http://www.4csl.org.