Thomas P. Morahan (October 11, 1931 – July 12, 2010) was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

, for the 38th district covering all of

Rockland County Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population is 338,329, making it the state's ...

and parts of

Orange County, New York Orange County is a List of counties in New York, county located in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen (village), New York, Goshen. This count ...

. He was first elected in a special election in 1999. Morahan, after winning the November 4th elections, was serving his sixth term at the time of his death in 2010, though he had announced his retirement at the end of the term due to age and leukemia (which ultimately caused his death).

Life

Thomas Morahan was born in the Bronx. After graduating from high school, he attended

Rockland Community College Rockland Community College (RCC) is a public community college in Rockland County, New York. It is part of the State University of New York. The college, established in 1959, became the 18th community college to join the SUNY system. The colleg ...

. The state senator began his government service as a member of the Clarkstown Zoning Board of Appeals. In 1977, he was elected as a

Legislator. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

(96th D.) in 1981 and 1982. He returned to the Rockland County Legislature in 1984. In 1996, he was elected unanimously to serve as Chairman of the Rockland County Legislature. In 1999, he campaigned for position as New York State Senator for the 38th senatorial district. After winning, served five terms, and won reelection for a sixth term in 2008. While in political office, Morahan served on the Orange and Rockland Utilities Board as a Community Relations Manager, from 1990 to 1996. Morahan was identified as a 'very liberal' Republican, within the 2% most liberal Republicans in the New York State Legislature.

Organizations

Morahan was an active member in promoting avocations for citizens with

mental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

. He was member of the American Organization for Retarded Citizens, which raises funds for solutions for

autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

and other issues. The state senator was also actively involved in Big Brothers, Big Sisters, as well as the New City Rotary Club. He served on the agricultural, educational, homeland security, and mental health committees. Morahan visited and supported veterans' organizations, specifically those of the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

and the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Legislation

On May 25, 1999, Morahan was elected to fill a vacancy in the State Senate. Morahan sponsored and co-sponsored several pieces of

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred ...

involving promoting awareness for citizens with special needs. He helped pass the Veterans' Buyback Law, which allowed veterans to easily deal with mortgages and retirement issues. He sponsored and voted for strengthening

Sexual Assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

Laws, which increase the sentences for those charged with

harassment Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, and it is characteristically identified by its unlikelihood in terms of social and ...

. He co-sponsored Jonathon's Law, which entitles parents and legal guardians access to all child abuse investigation files and medical history records. Public Safety programs were specifically of Morahan's interest, of which he seeks to pass more laws to solve important issues. He supports donating money to Nyack Hospital for its

Breast Cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

Center, as well as Emergency Preparedness Training at

. Morahan voted against same-sex marriage legislation on December 2, 2009, and the bill was defeated.

Illness and death

Morahan died on July 12, 2010, at the age of 78. Prior to his death, he had fought a six-month battle with

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morahan, Thomas P. 1931 births 2010 deaths Republican Party New York (state) state senators Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Politicians from Rockland County, New York Deaths from leukemia in New York (state) Rockland Community College alumni Politicians from the Bronx 21st-century members of the New York State Legislature 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature

Life

Organizations

Legislation

Illness and death

See also

References