John Morrison (born 1961) is a Montana attorney, businessman, and political leader. He served as the elected Montana State Auditor, Insurance Commissioner and Securities Commissioner from 2001-2009. In 2006, he was a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Since returning to the private sector in 2009, Morrison has resumed his law practice and consults nationally and internationally on insurance related issues.
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John Morrison grew up in the railroad and timber town of Whitefish, Montana. His father was a small town lawyer and his mother, a substitute teacher and speech therapist. His grandfather was Frank B. Morrison, Governor of Nebraska (1961–67). When Morrison was in high school, his family moved to Missoula and he graduated from Hellgate High School. Morrison received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, where he excelled in academics and debate. During college, he worked as a construction laborer and radio announcer and had his own landscaping business. After graduating in 1983, Morrison entered the University of Denver Law School, where he served as an associate law review editor and was a finalist at the National Trial Competition.
From 1987-1988, Morrison worked in Washington, D.C. as a legislative aide and legal counsel to Montana's Senator John Melcher and the Senate Agriculture Committee, helping write the Farm Credit Act of 1987, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.
Returning to Montana, Morrison spent the next thirteen years practicing law in Helena. He represented the state in its Medicaid reimbursement case against tobacco companies, represented The New York Times, NBC and other media organizations in the Unabomber case, and handled scores of complex civil cases in both state and federal trial and appellate courts, including Montana's first medical monitoring class action on behalf of hundreds of fen/Phen victims. Morrison was a partner in a small law firm and he taught widely at legal seminars and as a guest lecturer at the University of Montana Law School.
While still in his thirties, Morrison received an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbel (the highest peer rating for legal ability and ethical standards) and became a certified Civil Trial Advocate through the National Board of trial Advocacy. He was elected and served as president of the Montana Trial Lawyers Association where he began a program to provide hundreds of bicycle helmets each year to underprivileged Montana school children. Morrison authored numerous legal articles and a book, "Mavericks, The Lives and Battles of Montana Political Legends." Morrison created two private endowments: the Montana Endowment for Public Health and Safety and the Mohamed Nasir Kahn Scholarship Endowment.
As Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Insurance and Securities, Morrison proposed, designed and implemented "Insure Montana," a small business health care program that uses tax credits, premium assistance and pooling to cover thousands of uninsured workers and their family members. (Great Falls Tribune 3/11/05, article on business page and editorial); (Missoulian 12/21/05.) His proposal, passed in 2005 and funded by a special tobacco tax, also included funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and a prescription drug program. (Missoulian 1/6/03; Great Falls Tribune 1/28/03) He also created a premium assistance program for Montana’s high risk health insurance program that covers the chronically ill, and successfully rehabilitated a Montana Health Insurer. (Daily Interlake 9/8/02).
Morrison secured passage of sweeping new privacy laws restricting unauthorized use of personal medical and financial information and credit scores. (Billings Gazette 5/8/01 (privacy)); (Great Falls Tribune. 1/29/05 (credit scoring)).
Morrison proposed the Montana Captive Insurance Act and helped launch the niche industry that has brought Montana more than 40 new domestic insurers. (Billings Gazette 3/2/02. )
As securities commissioner, Morrison started "InvestSmart Montana" that provides investor protection education in communities across the state.[1]. Through InvestSmart, Morrison produced "Fraud Under the Big Sky," a feature length documentary film narrated by J.K. Simmons (Law and Order, The Closer, Spider-Man, Astronaut Farmer, Rendition, Juno). (Missoulian 9/18/07).
Morrison and his staff prosecuted the largest insurance and securities cases in the state’s history, recovering millions for victims and helping to put corrupt agents and brokers in prison. (Montana Standard 10/31/03 (O'Neill); Gazette 12/21/06 (Davison)).
As a member of Montana’s Board of Land Commissioners, Morrison led creation of the "State Land Bank" that has acquired thousands of acres of publicly accessible land for the state school trust to enhance revenue and recreational opportunities. (Billings Gazette, 8/26/01).
In 2008, Morrison wrote and led the campaign to pass I-155, a ballot initiative that creates the "Healthy Montana Kids Plan," which will provide insurance coverage for nearly all of Montana's 35,000 uninsured children. (Independent Record 10/28/07). The initiative passed with 70 percent of the vote and is now being implemented. Morrison created and is Chairman of Healthy Montana Kids, a non-profit organization that promoted I-155 and now monitors its implementation.
Morrison has chaired two major standing committees of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners: Market Regulation and Consumer Affairs and Health Insurance and Managed Care. Morrison led creation of a nationwide system that collects, aggregates and analyzes information relating to the conduct of insurance companies toward consumers in the marketplace, as well the first internet portal for insurance consumers, [2]. He led passage of a model law banning discretionary clauses in insured ERISA plans that now confers broad claims handling rights on millions of Americans. Morrison chaired the committee that kept terrorism coverage in place after September 11 (Great Falls Tribune 9/8/02; Daily Interlake 1/31/02), and led a national crackdown on fake Insurance and medical discount schemes (Consumer Reports 7/3/03, 6/6/04). He was one of a three member delegation that began the relationship between U.S. and Chinese insurance regulators in 2003. As NAIC’s International Vice-Chair for Asia, he represented U.S. insurance regulators in the 2007 U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogues and at the 2008 U.S.-China Insurance Dialogues in Hangzhou, China.
Morrison has written numerous op/eds, including "The Climate Change Peril that Insurers See," Washington Post 9/27/07 (reprinted widely by newspapers and blogs). He has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, The Times, Money, Forbes, Smart Money, Consumer Reports, Best’s Review, and other national publications.
Morrison started off strong in the race for the Democratic nomination for Senator, collecting $1.05 million as of the start of 2006, including $409,241 in the last three months of 2005.[1] Although incumbent Conrad Burns led Morrison in early polling by 15 points, Burns was hurt by stories about his ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Polls in March 2006 showed Morrison narrowly leading Burns while Burns narrowly led Morrison’s primary opponent, Jon Tester. (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/senate_races/montana_senate2.) In April 2006, two months before the primary election, several Montana newspapers published articles about an affair Morrison had in the late 1990s, and a later case that was handled by the securities department in Morrison's office. The case involved complaints against a Kalispell businessman who became engaged to the woman with whom Morrison had the relationship years earlier. Morrison hired an outside counsel to handle the contested administrative proceeding, which was settled. The federal case, using evidence provided and presented by Morrison's office, resulted in conviction and sentencing of the businessman.
Tester questioned Morrison’s effectiveness to challenge Burns on Burns' weakest point, ethics, although May polling showed Morrison’s lead over Burns growing. (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/senate_races/montana_senate) (Helena Independent Record, 5/28/06] [3] In late May, the Morrison-Tester race was called a "deadlock,"[4] but Jon Tester continued to gather momentum. On May 31, 2006, Paul Richards, citing the closeness of the race, and his own position (third) in the polls, withdrew from the race and threw his support to Tester.[5] Tester won the June 6, 2006 primary with 65,531 votes (61%) compared to Morrison's 38,246 (35%).
In 2009, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario appointed Morrison to replace Surgeon General C. Everett Koop on the boards of directors of the Senior Health Care Oversight Trust and the Senior Health Insurance Company of Pennsylvania(SHIP). The entities are charged with managing $3.2 billion in assets to provide long term care coverage for 150,000 Americans. Morrison is Chairman-Elect of both boards. Morrison also serves on the Board of Presidio Reinsurance Corporation, Montana's largest captive insurance company. Morrison provides insurance consulting services across the United States and internationally and has resumed his law practice as a Montana attorney. Morrison is President-Elect of CASA of Montana, a non-profit organization that advocates in court proceedings for the best interest of abused and neglected children. [3] [4] [5].
Morrison is currently working with a group of investors to set up a health insurance cooperative in Montana, as provided for by the Affordable Care Act. [6]