April 25, 2006
Mother's Day Story Idea: Moms in the Statehouse
It's rare for mothers with young kids to serve in the legislature. But some do.
DENVER - When Leticia Van de Putte first considered a run for the Texas state legislature in the late 1990s, she shared her plans with her six children, who were between 18 months and 10 years old.
"Why does Mommy want to be a state episentative?" Senator Van de Putte remembers her youngest daughter asking. "She couldn't even say the word."
Van de Putte's 10-year-old answered for her: "Because there's not enough mommies there," she said.
At a time when women make up just 22 percent of America's state legislators, it's rare to find a mother of young children serving, says Leah Oliver, program manager at the Women's Legislative Network of NCSL.
"It's easy to understand why," Oliver said. "Being a state legislator can mean weeks or months away from home during session. Even for those who live close to the Capitol, they work very long hours. And for some lawmakers, being a state legislator is a career in addition to their "day jobs." It's uncommon, but not unheard of for young moms to serve in legislatures."
Why not profile one this Mother's Day? Here are some dynamic women who would be happy to share their stories:
- Texas state Senator Leticia Van de Putte, a mother of six, has been elected four terms in the Texas Senate, following five terms as a state representative. Van de Putte chose public service because she got angry about her state's healthcare decisions. Texas, she said, had a comprehensive vaccination policy for cows, but not one for children. She was a co-sponsor of the bill that established the Texas State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides health care to 250,000 previously uninsured Texas kids. In August, she will become the first Hispanic woman president of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
- Alabama state Senator Vivian Davis Figures is a single mother who succeeded her husband into office in 1997 after he died suddenly of a massive stroke. He was 48 year old and the couple's children were just 7, 11 and 14. The lieutenant governor of Alabama and many legislators and community members urged Figures to run for office. But her most important supporter was her 7-year-old son, who said, "Mommy, you're the only one who can take Daddy's place."
- Maine state Representative Lisa Marrache has two children—ages 11 and 14. She is also a doctor, specializing in family medicine and gynecology. She laughingly says she has to have a split personality and compartmentalize her life. Marrache finished her medical residency while serving her first session in the Maine Legislature. She is proud that her daughter aspires to become a state legislator someday.
- Indiana state Representative Carolene Mays is a single mom to an 8-year-old daughter. Mays is the publisher of the nation's fourth oldest African-American newspaper, The Indianapolis Recorder, as well as the host of a weekly television news program, "Community Link."
- Wyoming state Representative Erin Mercer, new to the Legislature, has 1- and 2-year-old children at home as well as an adult daughter. It was her husband, she said, who dispelled her doubts about being away from the kids during session when he said, "You're doing this for them… to make a difference in their lives," she recounts. Mercer is a practicing attorney.
NCSL public affairs and women's network staff can help put you in touch with other women legislators with young children if the above aren't suitable.
Women and mothers provide valuable perspective in legislatures. Those who serve help the statehouse more closely mirror the electorate, though most legislatures are far from achieving this balance. And, as Indiana state Senator Beverly Gard points out, women tend to help forge compromises.
"Most of us have been mothers. Most of us have had jobs," Gard, a former biochemist, said on the NCSL CD Wise Women: Sage Advice From Seasoned Lawmakers. "We've been peacemakers. We've been negotiators. I think a lot of the skills you use as you raise children come into play in the legislature."
It's certainly not easy though, points out California state Senator Debra Bowen, who has a foster daughter and a step daughter. "It's tough to leave your kids at home, but lots of moms and dads do all kinds of work," she said.
Bowen, a former chair of the California legislature's women's caucus, led a crusade for more childcare service funding. And in 2004, she was among the women legislators who donned kitchen aprons with scarlet M's in a tongue-in-cheek response to a minister's comment that it was "sinful" for female politicians to leave their kids at home while serving in Sacramento.
The Women's Legislative Network of NCSL has recently produced several items that give a glimpse into the minds of women state legislators. Resolution: Women, Power and Change in America is a 12-minute film that highlights women lawmakers whose work made a difference. And the CD Wise Women: Sage Advice from Seasoned Lawmakers is a conversation with veteran women legislators about how they find strength and balance their roles in the legislature and at home. Copies are free to reporters. To request copies, send an email to press-room@ncsl.org.
NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system. The Women's Legislative Network of NCSL is a program of the NCSL Foundation for State Legislatures. All women legislators are members by virtue of their election to office. The Network promotes the participation, empowerment, and leadership of women legislators.
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