Stephen Morris (politician)

Stephen Morris (born January 4, 1946) is a former Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 39th district from 1993 to 2013. He was Senate president from 2005 to 2013. From 1977 to 1993, he served as the vice-president, then president of the Kansas Unified School District 210, Board of Education. He is a farmer from Hugoton.

Stephen Morris
President of the Kansas Senate
In office
2005 – January 13, 2012
Preceded byDave Kerr
Succeeded bySusan Wagle
Member of the Kansas Senate
from the 39th district
In office
January 11, 1993 – January 14, 2013
Preceded byLeroy Hayden
Succeeded byLarry Powell
Personal details
Born (1946-01-04) January 4, 1946 (age 78)
Garden City, Kansas, U.S
Political partyRepublican
SpouseBarbara Morris
Children3
Alma materKansas State University, Manhattan

Committee assignments

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Morris served on these legislative committees:[1]

  • Interstate Cooperation (chair)
  • Joint Committee on Legislative Coordinating Council (chair)
  • Organization, Calendar and Rules (chair)
  • Joint Committee on Pensions, Investments and Benefits (vice-chair)
  • Agriculture
  • Federal and State Affairs
  • Natural Resources

Major donors

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Some of the top contributors to Morris's 2008 campaign, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics:[2]

Kansas for Quality Mental Health Services, Astrazeneca, Kansas Association of Realtors, Westlink Communications, Heavy Constructors Association. Financial, insurance and real estate companies were his largest donor group.

Elections

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In 1992, Morris defeated incumbent Democrat Leroy Hayden, by 15,178 to 7,456 votes.[3] Seven of eight moderate state senate Republicans, including Morris, targeted by the Koch brothers, were defeated in the 2012 Republican primary, giving incumbent Governor Sam Brownback the margin he needed to effectively restructure state taxation, exempting "S" status filers such as Koch Industries from income taxes.[4] Morris lost to Larry Powell by a 5,106-4,737 margin in the primary on Aug. 7, 2012.[5][6] In 2014, Morris, as a member of Republicans for Kansas Values, supported Democratic State Senator Paul Davis for governor, over Brownback.[7]

References

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