Geanie Morrison | |
|---|---|
| Member of the TexasHouseofRepresentatives from the 30th district | |
| In office January 12, 1999 –January 14, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Holzheauser |
| Succeeded by | AJ Louderback |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 6,1950 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jack Morrison Jr. |
| Children | 2 |
Geanie Williams Morrison (born October 6,1950) [1] is an American politician from Victoria,Texas. A Republican,she represented the 30th district in the Texas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2025. [2] [3]
Morrison attended Victoria College. [1] She has two children and two grandchildren with her husband Jack. [4]
Before serving in the House of Representatives,Morrison served as the executive director of the Governor's Commission for Women. [3] She was appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush to the Texas Commission for Volunteerism and Community Service and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission. [3] Morrison is a sustaining member and former President of the Junior League of Victoria,TX. [5]
In 1999,Morrison introduced legislation creating the Safe-haven law. This law decriminalizes the leaving of unharmed infants with statutorily designated private persons so that the child becomes a ward of the state in order to eliminate child abandonment. Morrison's legislation became a blueprint and by 2008 similar laws were adopted across the country. [6]
Morrison was the first chairperson of the Environmental Regulation Committee when it was created in 2015. [7] As part of her work on the committee,she championed a bill that weakened environmental protections in an effort to encourage employers to move to Texas or to stay in the state. [8]
In 2018,she was elected to the 86th legislature with 74.7% of the vote,beating Robin Hayter. [9] Morrison served on the Culture,Recreation &Tourism Committee,the Environmental Regulation Committee,the Mass Violence Prevention &Community Safety Committee,and chaired the Local &Consent Calendars Committee. [3] She represented parts of Aransas,Calhoun,De Witt,Goliad,Refugio,and Victoria counties. [3]
Morrison had a primary challenger [10] but was unopposed in the 2020 general election. [2] She briefly was in the running to become Speaker of the House for the 87th legislature,but withdrew after only a week,throwing her support to Dade Phelan. [2] Later,she put her name back into contention for the speakership. [11] Her office was involved in removing a statue of a Confederate soldier in 2020. [12]
On May 27,2023,Morrison voted against impeaching Ken Paxton. [13] She was succeeded by AJ Louderback in 2024. [14]