National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators Hosts 23rd Annual Summit in Oklahoma City, Highlighting Local Impact and Emerging Latino Regions

Check out the photos of the event here.

Washington, D.C. – The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) convened its 23rd Annual Summit in Oklahoma City at the end of November, spotlighting emerging Latino regions and celebrating the contributions of Hispanic communities in one of the fastest-growing Latino states in the nation.

With the support of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, the Summit opened at the Oklahoma State Capitol with a discussion on tribal sovereignty featuring Matthew Morgan, Special Envoy to the Chickasaw Nation, a topic of special importance to Immediate Past President Rep. Angela Romero (UT) due to the deep intersections between Latino and Native American issues.

State legislators participated in policy sessions addressing priorities for the 2026 legislative sessions, including how financial technology ––fintech–– is supporting financial inclusion, modernizing the workforce, and strengthening consumer protection, with Sen. Luz Escamilla (UT) and Sara El-Amine from Chime; a presentation on the dangers of compounding obesity medications and the impact on Hispanic patients, with Beth Mueller from Eli Lilly; state level policy measures that can improve energy affordability for all Americans, with Sen. Michael Brooks-Jiménez (OK), Ted Novicki of Avangrid and Zach Quintero from Oklahoma Gas & Electric; addressing medical debt with greater transparency around copay accumulators and third-party assistance for medications, with Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (MD) and Matt Glanville of the American Cancer Society; the current state of vaccine policies with Dr. Erin M. Abramsohn, DrPH of the Infectious Disease Prevention Network; and a training from Michael Kaiser of Defending Digital Campaigns on how to improve their cybersecurity, made possible by Google.

Her Excellency Ángeles Moreno Bau, Ambassador of Spain to the United States, joined Sen. Teresa Ruiz (NJ), and Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of Hispanic Heritage Foundation, for the keynote conversation Language, Leadership and Legacy: The Hispanic Contribution to the American Identity, moderated by KOSU reporter Lionel Ramos.

NHCSL also featured U.S. Senator James Lankford (OK), who talked about the importance of infrastructure resiliency especially in states that are more exposed to natural disasters, and U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), who underscored the importance of federal and state lawmakers working in tandem to address some of the most pressing issues for Hispanics.

During its Annual Meeting, NHCSL adopted new policy resolutions that address a wide range of topics relevant to Hispanic communities nationwide. The Caucus also honored outstanding leaders at its Noche de Celebración gala. New Jersey legislators Sen. Teresa Ruiz, Asm. Julio Marenco, Asm. Annette Quijano, and Asm. Carmen Morales jointly received the 2024 John S. Martinez Legislator of the Year Award for championing legislation requiring Latino and Hispanic history instruction in New Jersey schools. And the Texas Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC) received the Trailblazer Award for efforts to combat discriminatory redistricting. Its Chair, Rep. Ramón Romero, accepted the award on behalf of MALC. Finally, Walmart’s Ivan Jaime was recognized as NHCSL’s Partner of the Year.

NHCSL also elected new leadership to serve alongside President Rep. Juan Candelaria (CT).

As part of its community service efforts, NHCSL partnered with the Latino Community Development Agency, and with support from Walmart, Whole Foods, and Amazon, to distribute Thanksgiving groceries, children’s books, and plush toys to 400 local families, distributed by state legislators and partners from across the country, impacting an estimated 4,000 Oklahomans.

NHCSL will reconvene for its Spring Executive Committee Meeting in New York City on April 8–10, 2026.

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The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) is the premier national association of Hispanic state legislators working to design and implement policies and procedures that will improve the quality of life for Hispanics throughout the country. NHCSL was founded in 1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to be the most effective voice for the more than 470 Hispanic legislators. For more information visit www.nhcsl.org.