July 14, 2006
Texas Senator To Become First Hispanic President of National Legislative Organization
DENVER - Texas state Senator Leticia Van de Putte in August will become the first Hispanic president of the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that works on behalf of the nation's state legislatures.
 As president, she will be a voice in the federal system for the nation's 7,382 state legislators - who collectively represent all Americans. She will take office at NCSL's Annual Meeting, August 15-18 in Nashville.
"Senator Van de Putte is a dynamic woman who gets things done. We're looking forward to a productive year with her at the helm," said NCSL Executive Director William Pound. "Her experience, her outlook and her candor make her a very effective leader."
A Democrat, she succeeds Republican Illinois Senator Steve Rauschenberger to the post of NCSL president. The position alternates each year between the two major parties.
Senator Van de Putte represents a large portion of San Antonio, and is a veteran in her legislature. This is her fourth term in the Texas Senate, following five terms in the House.
Years ago, she gave up one dream of owning her own pharmacy to pursue another - public service. She couldn't do both under the state's conflict of interest laws. Though she no longer owns her own pharmacy, she is a practicing pharmacist who entered politics because she got angry about the way her state handled healthcare. Texas' policy for vaccinating cows, she says, was more comprehensive at the time than its program for kids.
These are several of her legislative achievements:
- She co-authored the state's children's health insurance plan that now covers more than 250,000 previously uninsured kids.
- She sponsored her state's Patients' Bill of Rights, which became a model for the national legislation.
- Her bill established a do-not-call list and leveled the telecom playing field in Texas, giving consumers more choice and bringing the Internet to rural areas.
The senator has Mexican roots as a 7th generation Texan. She is a former president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators. She has been an officer on NCSL's executive committee since 2004. She is currently co-chair of NCSL's Task Force on State and Local Taxation of Telecommunications and Electronic Commerce and she helped establish NCSL's Task Force on Immigration and the States. She has testified before Congress on these and other issues numerous times.
"I am both humbled and excited to become President of NCSL," Senator Van de Putte said. "States can often be active innovators in important policy areas. I love my work in Austin and I am ready for this challenge."
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.
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