Biography

Senator Thomas Patrick Morahan (Republican/Conservative/Independence/ Working Families, New City) is completing his fifth term representing the residents of the five Rockland County towns of Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo and Stony Point and the Orange County towns of Tuxedo and Warwick.

In Albany, Senator Morahan holds the leadership post of Senate Liaison to the Executive Branch. The Senator serves as Chairman of the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. In this role he was responsible for the passage of significant legislation, including "Timothy’s Law" which ensures mental health parity.

The Senator also serves on key Senate committees including Agriculture, Banks, Education, Elections, Labor, Local Government, Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities, and Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs.

Senator Morahan's legislative efforts have been described as "prolific."

A major priority of Senator Morahan and the Senate Majority for the 2000 legislative agenda was to help New York State's senior citizens cope with the high cost of prescription drugs through a program called EPIC.Under Senator Morahan's EPIC+ plan, income-eligibility levels were raised substantially above the existing program to include middle-income seniors.

Senator Morahan also was the prime sponsor of a nationally acclaimed program that affects communities throughout New York State -- Project SAVE, or the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act.

As a key sponsor of 2005 Budget Reform bills, he was responsible for legislation which put an end to late budgets, restoring public confidence in New York's budget-making process.

Senator Morahan began his government service as a member of the Clarkstown Zoning Board of Appeals, and he won his first elected office in 1977, as a Rockland County Legislator. In 1980, he was elected to the New York State Assembly.

In 1984, Senator Morahan returned to the Rockland County Legislature, where he served with distinction. In 1996, he was elected unanimously to serve as Legislature chairman. One newspaper declared him the most effective chairman in the Legislature's 30-year history.

Senator Morahan prides himself on being a commonsense legislator who knows how to get things done for his constituents. His door is always open, and he listens to and acts on behalf of the people he represents.