Democrat – Legislative District 6 House

Phone: (928) 526-3937

Email: ContactUs@MorrisonforAZHouse.com

Address: 8783 E Neptune Drive , Flagstaff, AZ 86004

Age: 69. (08/03/44, Elgin, IL).

Arizona since: 2006

Occupation: Vice president, Nemeth Morrison Corporation, since 2003; faculty associate and career and academic advisor, 2010-2013. I have spent most of my 40 plus-year professional career in the public policy arena in such areas as health care (with an emphasis on behavioral health and managed care), workforce development, workers compensation, and more. My background has included service as a senior officer of a Fortune 500 company, responsible for strategic planning and government relations for 20 states plus Congress, working for small, medium, and large firms, including women-owned and minority-owned firms, and working for government and in academia.

Marital: Married

Children: 2

Education: M.S., community mental health, Northern Illinois University, 1969; B.S., psychology and mathematics, Northern Illinois University, 1967; A.A., Elgin Community College, 1964. Advanced graduate work in mathematical economics, biostatics and epidemiology.

Political experience: Helped with the Kirkpatrick for Congress, Angela LeFevre for Arizona House, Tom Chabin for Arizona Senate, and Art Babbitt for Flagstaff City Council campaigns.

Interests: Family and making the world a better place.

Two biggest issues: The State’s image and the economy, and they are closely linked.

Budget priorities: My budget priorities are public education – K-12, community colleges, and the three State universities – infrastructure, child welfare, forest health and AHCCCS. It is not just a question of expenditure cuts and/or revenue increases; it is a question of values and investments that match those values. For example, do we want our children and grandchildren to succeed? If we do, we cannot leave them with a collapsing infrastructure, a deteriorating environment, and a skills and knowledge deficit compared to other countries. They will not be able to compete; they will fall behind.

Fiscal philosophy: Prudent and pragmatic.

Common Core: It truly bothers me that some people continue to mischaracterize what Common Core is and from where it came. The idea for Common Core originated with the business community, as a means to compete more effectively in a world economy. Common Core, which has been adopted by 44 states nationally, was developed by a panel of academics convened by governors and state school superintendents to replace a hodgepodge of state standards. Clear, uniform and rigorous standards will help students across the country become better critical thinkers and problem-solvers to compete in the global economy. I know from my own experience, as a career and academic advisor and faculty member at NAU and businessman, critical thinking is essential.

Gifts to elected officials: There should be a limit on gifts to elected officials of no more than $50. Whether or not such a limit is enacted into law, if elected I will not accept any gift in excess of that amount. If, for example, tickets to some event were offered and the value of them were in excess of that amount, I would pay the difference between the face value of the tickets and the $50 limit. If I could not afford to do that, I would not accept the tickets. Besides, just because a gift is offered does not mean that I would accept it, irrespective of value. For example, I would not accept anything from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) or any of its financial supporters, irrespective of the value, in the unlikely event that a gift would be offered.

Transparency in government: Transparency in government is essential in order to earn and retain the trust of the public. Take for example contracting with private enterprise to manage state correctional facilities. The public has an absolute right to know what the cost of that enterprise is compared to the cost of the state managing its own correctional facilities. Similarly, providing the public with adequate notice of potential governmental actions should be without question. For example, I am very concerned that such notice is circumvented by eleventh-hour strike-all amendments.

Pro-life / pro-choice: I want to preserve the life of every child, adult, mother, and father – rich, poor, every race and ethnicity, everybody. When it comes to making the difficult decision about whether to carry a pregnancy to term, I think we need to honor the mother’s right to decide what goes on inside her own body.

Public policy advice: I have spent most of my professional career in the public policy arena. For advice, I turn to my wife, my siblings, my children, current and former elected officials, business representatives, and subject-matter experts.

Morrison, Lanny

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