This Senator is no longer serving in the New York State Senate.

About Former Senator Thomas Morahan's

New York State Senator Thomas Patrick Morahan represented the residents of the five Rockland County towns of Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo, and Stony Point and the two Orange County towns of Tuxedo and Warwick for over a decade.

The Senator served as the Chairman of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee. In this role he was responsible for the passage of significant legislation, "Jonathan's Law" and "Timothy’s Law," landmark legislation which ensures mental health parity.  Senator Republican Leaders Dean Skelos said, "Morahan is a passionate advocate for the mentally disabled.  The people in the mental health community can always count on him".

The Senator also served on key Senate committees including Banks, Education, Elections, Labor, and Local Government.

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

A major priority of Senator Morahan 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.

This year, Senator Morahan had partnered with Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein as co-chairmen of the Hudson Valley Delegation. The nine Senators of this bipartisan delegation have been meeting on a regular basis in effort to provide their colleagues in Albany with a Hudson Valley perspective regarding issues such as property taxes, economic development, the MTA, the Port Authority's role at Stewart International Airport, and many other major infrastructure projects.

Senator Morahan had been appointed to a bipartisan Senate Task Force on Government Efficiency, which investigated waste and inefficiencies within several New York State agencies.  Senator Morahan's work on the Task Force helped expose millions of dollars in waste and inefficiencies and the Task Force also proposed several recommendations to curb the abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Senator Morahan began his government service as a member of the Clarkstown Zoning Board of Appeals. In 1977 he was elected as a Rockland County Legislator. In 1980, his constituents elected him to represent them as a Member of the New York State Assembly.

In 1984, Senator Morahan returned to the Rockland County Legislature, where he continued his service with distinction. In 1996, he was elected unanimously to serve as Chairman of the Rockland County Legislature. An editorial of a major Rockland newspaper credited him as one of the most effective chairman in the Legislature's history.

Senator Morahan prided himself on being a commonsense legislator who knew how to get things done for his constituents. His door was always open, and he listened to and acted on behalf of the people he represented. At the first session of the Senate in 2010, State Senate Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson described Senator Morahan "as a smart and effective public servant, committed to working in a bipartisan fashion."

"Senator Morahan and I have served as co-chairs for the Hudson Valley Delegation these past several months and during that time I've witnessed first-hand the Senator's interest in welcoming a diverse dialogue in an effort to improve the quality of life of New Yorkers in our districts and across the state," noted State Senator Jeff Klein, Senate Deputy Majority Leader.

Senator Thomas Patrick Morahan passed away on July 12, 2010 after a battle with Leukemia.

Last edited by Senator Thomas Morahan's staff prior to last day in office.