Bill Morrow (California politician)

William Phillip Morrow (born April 19, 1954) is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of California, who used to be in the California State Senate representing the 38th district which includes northern San Diego County and the cities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano in southern Orange County.

Early life

Born and raised in Southern California, Morrow earned his A.A. in 1974 at Mt. San Antonio College, where he had served as Student Body President. He transferred to UCLA, where he graduated with honors in 1976. Morrow earned his J.D. from Pepperdine School of Law in 1979. He served in the Marines as a Judge Advocate.

After retiring from the military in 1987, Morrow practiced law as a small business attorney

Political life

Morrow was elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 73rd District in 1992. He won a second term in 1994 and a third term in 1996 with 63% of the vote. In 1998, Morrow was elected to the California State Senate with 60% of the vote to represent the 38th District. In 2000, he ran for the Congressional seat of retiring Representative Ron Packard and came in second to Darrell Issa in a field of ten in the Republican primary election. Morrow was reelected to the Senate in 2002 with 66% of the vote.

Morrow, an off-road vehicle enthusiast, was caught and cited in 1996 by a ranger for doing "doughnuts" in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.in a four-wheel-drive vehicle with special legislative license plates. [cite news
title = Distrust stirs the dust
url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20060221-9999-1n21offroad.html
first = Michael
last = Gardner
publisher = The San Diego Union-Tribune
date = February 21, 2006]

In late 2005 California's 50th Congressional District became vacant due to the resignation of a local congressman caught up in a bribery scandal. Morrow threw his hat into the ring. The initial primary election for the special election to fill the vacancy was be held on April 11, 2006. Former Representative Brian Bilbray won the primary.

Morrow was Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Morrow was also the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee and the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee. Morrow also served on the Education Committee and the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee.

Although a strong conservative, Morrow has a calm, folksy manner that has made him popular with both Republican and Democratic legislators. Morrow was one of two Republicans to head a policy committee (Veteran Affairs) in the Democratic-controlled state Senate.cite news
title = Akin on issues, Kaloogian and Morrow part ways on style
url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20060330-9999-7m30legis.html
first = Bill
last = Ainsworth
date = March 30, 2006
publisher = The San Diego Union-Tribune]

In 2005, Morrow made headlines when he formally joined the Minutemen anti-illegal immigration organization, serving several weekends watching the U.S./Mexico border near the small border community of Campo, California. [cite web
title = Bill's Letter to CA Minutemen
url = http://www.borderwatch.us/ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=114&Itemid=1
date = July 26, 2005]

Morrow also became a hero to the skateboarding community. He pushed laws that reduced liability for skateboard accidents, making it feasible for cities to build skateboard parks.

A conservative Christian, Morrow also is a prominent advocate for "traditional family values".Fact|date=February 2007 He is a pro-life leader on abortion issues and an opponent to experimentation on human embryonic stem cells.Fact|date=February 2007 In 2005-06 Morrow authored Senate Constitutional Amendment 1, which limit marriage to "one man-one woman." [cite news
title = Dunn blocks Morrow's anti-gay marriage bill
url = http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/05/15/sections/region_state/region_state_columns/article_520706.php
first = John
last = Gittlesohn
date = May 15, 2005
publisher = The Orange County Register]

In 2001-2002 the conservative senator teamed up with liberal Democratic Senator Joe Dunn, from Orange County, leading a special select committee investigation of the California energy crisis.Fact|date=February 2007 Morrow made a committee motion to hold Enron in contempt for failing to respond to committee document subpoenas; the motion carried. [cite web
title = Two International Energy Firms Held In Contempt
url = http://republican.sen.ca.gov/news/38/pressrelease1449.asp
date = June 28, 2001
publisher = Office of California State Senator Bill Morrow
archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060514001553/http://republican.sen.ca.gov/news/38/pressrelease1449.asp
archivedate = 2006-05-14] Enron eventually sued the California Senate, claiming it lacked jurisdiction to enforce its state-level investigation by subpoenaing out-of-state entities.Fact|date=February 2007 Enron lost in court and the Senate investigation proceeded.Fact|date=February 2007

Toward the end of his tenure in the California Senate Morrow sponsored the controversial "Students Bill of Rights," which was modeled on David Horowitz's Academic Bill of Rights. [cite news
title = SB 5
url = http://www.santarosa.edu/~maparicio/red_scare/sb5.html
first = Bill
last = Morrow
date = December 6, 2004
publisher = California State Legislature] Morrow introduced the bill "to help protect students in our public education system from harassment and abuse." [cite news
title = Open Letter to All SRJC Students
url = http://www.santarosa.edu/~maparicio/red_scare/april_12_oak_leaf/morrow_editorial.html
first = Bill
last = Morrow
date = April 11, 2005
publisher = The Santa Rosa Junior College Oak Leaf] However, some critics alleged that the bill's vaguely worded requirements -- e.g., to respect the "unsettled character" of the social sciences and humanities -- denied the distinction between plausible theories and implausible theories, giving theories like Holocaust denials an academic respect not warranted by the evidence." [cite news
title = SB 5
url = http://www.santarosa.edu/~maparicio/red_scare/sb5.html
first = Bill
last = Morrow
date = December 6, 2004
publisher = California State Legislature] [cite news
title = Red Star Professors
url = http://www.cft.org/councils/ccc/news/santarosared.html
first = Fred
last = Glass
date = May, 2005
publisher = Community College Perspective] [cite news
title = A Student Bill of Rights?
url = http://www.santarosa.edu/~maparicio/red_scare/response_to_morrow.html
first = Michael
last = Aparicio
date = April 11, 2005
publisher = The Santa Rosa Junior College Oak Leaf] [cite news
title = Freedom Under Microscope at CSUSM
url = http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/03/23/news/inland/23_41_263_22_05.txt
first = Bruce
last = Kauffman
date = March 22, 2005
publisher = North County Times] This criticism was given further support when Morrow publicly claimed the bill "treats all ideological perspectives the same." [cite news
title = Open Letter to All SRJC Students
url = http://www.santarosa.edu/~maparicio/red_scare/april_12_oak_leaf/morrow_editorial.html
first = Bill
last = Morrow
date = April 11, 2005
publisher = The Santa Rosa Junior College Oak Leaf] In addition, the bill required social science and humanities faculty to "provide students with dissenting sources and viewpoints." [cite news
title = SB 5
url = http://www.santarosa.edu/~maparicio/red_scare/sb5.html
first = Bill
last = Morrow
date = December 6, 2004
publisher = California State Legislature] Given the bill's vague criteria, some critics alleged that this requirement could be used to force faculty to cover implausible theories in their classes. [cite news
title = A Student Bill of Rights?
url = http://www.santarosa.edu/~maparicio/red_scare/response_to_morrow.html
first = Michael
last = Aparicio
date = April 11, 2005
publisher = The Santa Rosa Junior College Oak Leaf] [cite news
title = Red Star Professors
url = http://www.cft.org/councils/ccc/news/santarosared.html
first = Fred
last = Glass
date = May, 2005
publisher = Community College Perspective] Worse, given the impossibility of covering all ideological perspectives on many issues, the bill's wording seemingly made it impossible for faculty to abide by the law. [cite news
title = A Student Bill of Rights?
url = http://www.santarosa.edu/~maparicio/red_scare/response_to_morrow.html
first = Michael
last = Aparicio
date = April 11, 2005
publisher = The Santa Rosa Junior College Oak Leaf] Though the bill gained some media attention, it never made it out of committee.

Morrow lives in Oceanside with his wife, Barbara, and his son Will, from a previous marriage. Morrow is an avid outdoorsman.

ee also

References

External links

* [http://www.billmorrow.com/ Campaign web site]