In November of 2002, Leah was elected to her first term as Representative to Wisconsin’s 14th Assembly District. She serves as the Ranking Member of the Assembly’s Committee on Health and Health Care Reform. Leah also currently serves on the Assembly committees on Education, Public Health, and Education Reform. She previously served on the Assembly committee on Children and Families, and the Criminal Justice and Homeland Security committee. Leah is a Registered Nurse and Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Marquette University in 1980, and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1983 where she specialized in child development and primary care treatment of children. She is a nationally certified pediatric nurse practitioner with over 25 years of nursing and teaching experience at St. Mary's Medical Center and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. She currently holds a teaching position with a home health care agency.

Leah has spent her entire career serving the needs of children and families. Her extensive and varied professional activities have focused on children's health issues as well as issues involving K-12 educational policy. She is the former President of Parents Raising Educational Standards in Schools (PRESS), a statewide organization committed to raising academic standards and increasing parental involvement in the school reform process. In 2000, PRESS became an educational project of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI) where Leah expanded upon the work of PRESS. She has also served as an Institute Research Fellow and contributing author.

In 1998 the Center for Education Reform in Washington D.C. presented Leah with the “Unsung Hero” award for her grassroots school reform efforts. Leah's educational efforts have been featured in Education Week, Investor's Business Daily, Working Mother as well as in columns written by Mona Charen and Debra Saunders. Leah was asked by Dr. William Bennett to review portions of the manuscript of his book, “The Educated Child.” PRESS is cited in Dr. Bennett’s book for its role in the school reform movement. In 2001, Lynne Cheney invited Leah to Washington D.C. for a private meeting to discuss education reform issues facing the nation and the progress Wisconsin has made. Leah has served on various gubernatorial committees studying Wisconsin educational policy. She was a member of the Standards and Assessment Subcommittee of Governor Tommy Thompson's Task Force on Education and Learning. She also served as a member of the English/Language Arts Task Force of Governor Thompson's Council on Model Academic Standards. Leah’s passion for education and health care has continued in her role as state legislator. Her combined experience as a grassroots activist, health care provider and policy researcher has made her an effective legislative leader in both education reform and health care reform policy.

In 2009, Leah earned the American Legislative Exchange Council's "Legislator of the Year Award" for her dedication to individual liberties and Jeffersonian Principles.

As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Health and Health Care Reform for the 2007-2008 session and now ranking member, Leah has worked to tackle the current problems with our health care system. She has proposed free market solutions that will lower health care costs, make health care more affordable and, most important; maintain the quality of health care we have come to expect from the many fine hospitals in our state. Leah’s solutions will give patients–not government - greater control over their health care. She has become a national leader in health care reform as well in her capacity as a member of the Health and Human Services Executive Committee for the American Legislative Exchange Council – a national organization of legislators dedicated to advancing the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty.

Leah’s efforts to advance free market solutions earned her the 2008 “Defender of the American Dream” Award from Americans for Prosperity.

As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Education Reform in the 2005-2006 session, Leah led the charge to lift the caps on the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Thousands of children would have been forced out of their schools had a bipartisan agreement not been achieved. Working with Governor Jim Doyle and legislative leaders, Leah worked to forge a compromise that allowed these children to continue their dreams in the schools of their choice.

	A 22-year Wauwatosa resident, Leah also grew up and lived for 20 years in Brookfield where she graduated from Brookfield East High School. She was invited back to East to receive the 2002 Brookfield East Alumni Achievement Award. She currently resides in Wauwatosa with her children Elena and Nick.

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