Jim Morris (Louisiana politician)

James Hollis Morris, known as Jim Morris (born May 3, 1954) is a businessman from Oil City in northern Caddo Parish, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. His District 1 encompasses the northern portions of both Caddo and neighboring Bossier Parish. In 2007, Morris became only the second member of his party to hold his legislative seat, having won a special election to succeed the Democrat Roy McArthur “Hoppy” Hopkins of Oil City, who died in office. The previous Republican representative from District I is retired banker Bruce Lynn of Gilliam, who served from 1976-1988. Morris resides in Belcher, but his district office is in Oil City.

Morris graduated in 1972 from Smackover High School in Smackover in Union County near El Dorado in southern Arkansas. In 1976, he received a bachelor of science degree in education from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, the seat of Clark County,also in southern Arkansas. For his entire working career, Morris has been involved in the petroleum and natural gas business.

Motorcycle helmet issue

In the 2009 legislative session, Morris, an avid motorcyclist, introduced House Bill 639 which would allow cyclists over the age of twenty-one the option of wearing helmets. A similar law had been approved and signed into law by former Republican Governor Mike Foster, but it was repealed during the tenure of his Democratic successor, Kathleen Blanco. Therefore, helmets are required by all motorcyclists in Louisiana. Blanco’s successor, Republican Bobby Jindal, endorsed Morris’ bill as a freedom-of-choice issue though Jindal said that he would personally wear a helmet if he boarded a motorcycle. The bill unanimously passed committee.

On June 3, 2009, the bill passed the full House, 64-33. Thereafter, the measure was shelved for the second consecutive year by the Senate Health Committee. Opponents said that safety considerations trump the freedom-of-choice. The bill had a provision that cyclists have health insurance and a certain amount of liability insurance before they could have been exempt from wearing helmets. Jimmy Faircloth, executive counsel to Governor Jindal, likened motorcycle riding to skydiving, hunting, mountain climbing, and all sports with a risk in participation. State senators unimpressed with the legislation equated the helmet requirement to the state’s strict seat belt law designed to protect people from avoidable injuries.

Other legislative matters

Earlier in the 2009 legislative session, Jindal named Morris to chair the Interstate 49 North Extension Feasibility and Funding Task Force. Officials in northwestern Louisiana for years have been seeking to expand I-49 from Shreveport northward through Arkansas to Kansas City, Missouri. The issue is of particular importance to Morris’ House district. Morris also supported Jindal’s opposition to accepting federal stimulus money in Louisiana. He likened the measure to a "tax increase on our businesses and one of the worst things we could do for our state's growing economy ... "

Morris serves on six House committees on (1) Appropriations, (2) Labor and Industrial Relations, (3) Natural Resources and Environment, (4) Executive Committee, (5) Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, and (6) Homeland Security. He is also a member of the Louisiana Rural Caucus.

Election history

On February 24, 2007, Morris won a large victory in the special election for the former Hopkins seat. He polled 3,245 votes (69.4 percent), compared to less than 30 percent for four opponents, two from each party. The district includes twenty-eight Caddo and three Bossier precincts. In the campaign Morris procured the endorsement of Shreveport Times because of his experience on the Caddo Parish Commission. In the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 20, 2007, Morris again won with ease over two of the same opponents that he had faced in February. He polled 7,018 votes (64 percent) to 2,968 (27.1 percent) for the Democrat Richard "Richie" Hollier and 982 (9 percent) for fellow Republican Michael Page Boyter.

Prior to 2007, Morris served three terms on the Caddo Parish Commission, formerly known as the Police Jury. He initially was elected from commission District 1 on October 21, 1995. With 41.5 percent of the vote, Morris led two Democrats, incumbent John D. "Johnny" Reid of Vivian and Richard C. Latsos of Shreveport, in the nonpartisan blanket primary. In the general election on November 18, 1995, he unseated Reid, 3,265 (61.5 percent) to 2,043 (38.5 percent).

In 1999, Morris, with 2,280 ballots (52.4 percent) defeated the Democrat Sybil B. Walker of Oil City, who polled 2,068 votes (47.6 percent). Morris was unopposed for the commission seat in 2003. In the 2007 general election, Douglas Dominick of Vivian was elected to a full term on the Caddo commission.

Personal life

Morris and his wife, Kellie, a native of Vivian in north Caddo Parish, have two daughters, Krispen Morris and Kourtney Avalon Morris. Mrs Morris is the tourist information representative and events coordinator at the Louisiana State Oil & Gas Museum in Oil City, a facility strongly supported by Morris’ predecessor in the House, Roy “Hoppy” Hopkins. The lawmaker is a member of the Belcher Baptist Church. His father was a deputy sheriff in Arkansas and his mother worked in a factory. Two of his sisters spent years in educational pursuits; a younger sister, Karen, having served on the Smackover School Board.

References

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