Nita Hutter

Nita Rusich Hutter
Louisiana State Representative from District 104 (St. Bernard Parish)
In office 2000 – 2012 (pending)
Preceded by	Thomas Warner
Succeeded by	Paul Hollis
Personal details
Born	October 29, 1949 (1949-10-29) (age 62) New Orleans, Louisiana
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Divorced
Children	One son
Residence	Chalmette, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
Alma mater	Loyola University Tulane University
Occupation	Educator
Religion	Roman Catholic

Nita Rusich Hutter (born October 29, 1949) is a community college administrator from New Orleans, Louisiana, who is a departing Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 104 in nearby St. Bernard Parish.

Background

A New Orleans native, Hutter graduated in 1974 from the Roman Catholic-affiliated Loyola University in New Orleans. In 1978, she received a Master of Education degree from Tulane University, also in New Orleans.^[1] Hutter is a former teacher in St. Bernard Parish and is employed at Delgado Community College.^[2] She is divorced^[1] and the mother of one son.^[2]

State senate race

Term-limited in the House, Hutter was defeated in a race for the District 1 seat in the Louisiana State Senate in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, 2011. The Senate district includes all of Plaquemines Parish and parts of St. Bernard, St. Tammany, and Orleans parishes. She lost to the incumbent Republican senator, A. G. Crowe of Pear River in St. Tammany Parish, who received 15,717 votes (69.1 percent), compared to her 7,025 ballots (30.9 percent).^[3][2]

Legislative career

With exposure as a parish council member, Hutter was sufficiently well-known that she was unopposed in 1999 for her first term in the state House. To win her second term in the House in 2003, she defeated another Republican, Mike Bayham, 8,839 (61 percent) to 5,667 (39 percent).^[4] In 2007, Hutter prevailed over a Democrat, Stacy Riley, Sr., 4,120 (69.5 percent) to 1,812 (30.6 percent).^[5]

Early in 2011, a television station, WDSU, disclosed that Hutter was living in Metairie, a large unincorporated area in Jefferson Parish outside the boundaries of House District 104. Hutter, when confronted, said she had left St. Bernard Parish temporarily after Hurricane Katrina struck and was helping to care for her elderly mother at the Metairie address. She still maintains her legal residence in a house on Golden Drive in Chalmette. The structure was damaged by Katrina and has not been restored.^[6] The legislature passed a bill requiring members to be in continuous residence in their districts; Hutter was the lone dissenter on the measure, which was signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal. Hutter said that she had not returned to St. Bernard Parish because she had been unable to restore her boarded-up residence.^[6]

In her last legislative session, Hutter chaired the House Transportation Committee. She served on special committees regarding Coastal Restoration, Flood Control, and Disaster Planning, topics of great important to her district. In 2006, she was named chair of the Legislative Women's Caucus.^[2] In 2010, Hutter received a 38 percent rating by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, low for a Republican lawmaker, 78 percent from the Louisiana Family Forum. In 2009, she was ranked 100 percent by the Louisiana Right to Life Federation. In 2011, she voted against an increase in the state tobacco tax.^[7]

Hutter will be succeeded in the House by fellow Republican Paul Hollis, who received 3,905 votes (55.8 percent) in the primary held on October 22, 2011. His opponent, Republican Christopher Trahan, trailed with 3,096 votes (44.2 percent).^[3]

	Education portal
	Louisiana portal

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Rep. Nita Hutter". congress.org. http://www.congress.org/bio/id/48583. Retrieved August 29, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Rep. Nita Hutter will seek Louisiana Senate seat in October elections". nola.com. http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/08/rep_nita_hutter_will_seek_loui.html. Retrieved August 29, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Louisiana primary election returns, October 22, 2011". staticresults.sos.la.gov. http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10222011/10222011_Legislative.html. Retrieved October 22, 2011. 
4. ^ "Louisiana primary election returns, October 4, 2003". staticresults.sos.la.gov. http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10042003/10042003_Legislative.html. Retrieved August 29, 2011. 
5. ^ "Louisiana primary election returns, October 20, 2007". staticresults.sos.la.gov. http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10202007/10202007_Legislative.html. Retrieved October 23, 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "I-Team: State Rep. Lives Outside District: Nita Hutter, of St. Bernard, now lives in Metairie, February 10, 2011". wdsu.com. http://www.wdsu.com/r/26813094/detail.html. Retrieved August 29, 2011. 
7. ^ "Rep. Nita Rusich Hutter". votesmart.org. http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=54284. Retrieved August 29, 2011. 

Louisiana House of Representatives
Preceded by Thomas Warner	Louisiana State Representative from District 104 (St. Bernard Parish) Nita Rusich Hutter 2000–2012 (pending)	Succeeded by Paul Hollis

Persondata
Name	Hutter, Nita Rusich
Alternative names
Short description	Member of Louisiana State Legislature
Date of birth	October 29, 1949
Place of birth	New Orleans, Louisiana
Date of death
Place of death