for food items on their menus. The calorie counts are now standard practice at fast food eateries. Ortiz has served as chair of several committees and legislative task forces including Cities, Veterans Affairs, Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Food, Farm and Nutrition and the Legislature's Puerto Rican and Hispanic Task Force. He has also served on the executive committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and serves as co-chair of the NCSL Task Force on International Relations. He is the former chairman of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) and is a member of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus. In February 2015 Assemblyman Ortiz was appointed Assistant Speaker of the New York State Assembly; he is the first Hispanic to hold the position. Ortiz ran for the 38th district of the New York City Council in 2017, but lost in the primary to incumbent Carlos Menchaca. On July 16, 2020, Ortiz conceded defeat against Democratic Socialist and political newcomer Marcela Mitaynes after absentee ballots from the June 23 Democratic primary had been counted. Once the votes were certified, Ortiz had lost by 280 votes in a 4-way primary. References External links Assembly Member Website Gotham Gazette's Eye On Albany: New York State Assembly: District 51 Biography: New York State Democratic Committee 1959 births Living people American politicians of Puerto Rican descent Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in New York (state) Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly New York University alumni People from Salinas, Puerto Rico United States Army soldiers 2012 United States presidential electors 21st-century American politicians