Rep. Morrison, Geanie W.

Biography

State Representative Geanie W. Morrison, R-District 30, is currently serving her thirteenth term in the Texas Legislature. The south Texas district includes DeWitt, Goliad, Jackson, Lavaca, Matagorda, and Victoria counties.

For the 88th Legislative Session, Representative Morrison was appointed to serve on the House Committees on Redistricting, Appropriations and Culture, Recreation and Tourism. For the 87th Legislative session, Representative Morrison was appointed to serve on the House Committees on Redistricting, Appropriations, and Environmental Regulation. For the 86th Legislative Session, Representative Morrison was appointed to chair the House Committee on Local and Consent Calendar. Additionally, she served as a member of the House committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism and the House Committee on Environmental Regulation, a committee she chaired during the 84th Legislative Session. During the interim, Rep. Morrison was appointed to the Select Committee on Mass Violence Prevention and Community Safety. For the 85th Legislative Session, Representative Morrison was appointed to chair the House Committee on Transportation, and served as a member of the Higher Education Committee, the Joint Interim Committee on Higher Education Formula Funding, and the Select Committee on Ports, Innovation and Infrastructure. During the 83rd Legislative, Representative Morrison served as the chair of the House Committee on Elections, and as a member of the House Committee on Insurance. Representative Morrison has also served on the House Committee on Appropriations, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, and as vice-chair of the House Committee on Human Services. Representative Morrison served as the chair of the House Committee on Higher Education for the 78th, 79th and 80th Legislative Sessions.

During her service on the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee, Representative Morrison authored the Country's first Baby Moses legislation, which provides desperate mothers a responsible alternative to newborn abandonment. Since its passage in 1999, all 50 states have implemented similar measures, and hundreds of newborns have been saved nationwide - nearly 100 in the state of Texas.

Representative Morrison has been recognized by the Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators as Legislator of the Year and received the Texas Higher Education Leadership Star Award from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In addition, Representative Morrison has been recognized for her commitment to education with the Distinguished Service Award, presented by the Texas Regional Collaboratives, received the Educational Testing Services Legislative Excellence in Education Award, the Texas
Community College Teachers Association Legislator of the Year Award, and was recognized as one of South Texas' Women of the Year. On November 18, 2008, the Boy Scouts of America South Texas Council honored Representative Morrison with their Distinguished Citizen Award. She also received the Victoria Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen of the Year award in 2009.

Community involvement has been, and continues to be a very important part of Representative Morrison’s life. Her 17-year commitment to the Junior League of Victoria allowed Geanie to be involved in such worthwhile causes as "Making the Grade" and "Great Expectations." During this time, she worked closely with the youth of her community to ensure that they understood their importance as an individual and that education is essential to open the doors of opportunity. As Chair of the "Great Expectations" program, she worked with pregnant teens, helping them to finish high school and pursue a college education that would provide them with the training necessary to support their family.

Prior to running for state Representative, Geanie served on the Governor's staff as the Executive Director of the Governor's Commission for Women that also housed volunteerism. She also served on the Texas Commission for Volunteerism and Community Service and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, both of which were appointments by then Governor George W. Bush.