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JOHN MORRISON John Morrison was elected Montana State Auditor, the
Commissioner of Insurance and Securities in November 2000
and re-elected in 2004. As State Auditor, John's top
priorities have been consumer protection and job
creation. John and his staff have successfully
prosecuted Montana’s largest securities and insurance
cases, recovering millions for consumers and
investors. He has worked to prevent harm to consumers
and investors, especially seniors, through new programs
like InvestSmart
Montana. John has also been working
to reduce the number of uninsured Montanans since taking
office. The 2005 Montana Legislature approved John’s
Insure Montana
program that uses tax credits and pooling to make health
insurance more affordable for Montana’s small
businesses. John has been a leader in the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners. As chair of
the NAIC’s Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee,
John testified in the United States Senate on small
business health insurance solutions. As chair of the
Consumer Protection Working Group, John led the roll out of
the Consumer Information
Source, a national internet portal for consumers.
He also chaired the task force addressing legal issues
arising from the terrorist attacks on September 11. During his tenure, John has been the driving force in developing and gaining legislative approval for the Land Banking program. This process, used by the Montana Board of Land Commissioners, allows the Board to work with the Department of Natural Recourses and Conservation to sell isolated parcels of trust land and then replace them with consolidated holdings that produce more income for the State’s land trusts. Additionally, the acquired lands provide greater public access for recreational activities. John and his staff
recognized an opportunity for Montana in the Captives
insurance industry. Prior to his election,
John practiced law in Montana for 13 years. He holds an AV
rating with Martindale Hubbell, the highest mark for legal
skills and professional ethics. As a member of the
State Bar Association Ethics Committee, he co-authored
dozens of opinions on ethical issues. He is also a
past president of the Montana Trial Lawyers Association. He
represented Montana in the state's tobacco case,
represented the New York Times and other media
organizations in the "Unabomber" case, and
handled many complex insurance cases in federal and state
trial and appellate courts. He previously worked as a
legislative aide and legal counsel in the U.S. Senate. John received a bachelor's
degree in philosophy and politics from Whitman College in
Walla Walla, Wash., and a law degree from the University of
Denver where he was a winner of the national trial
competition and a law review editor. He has written
numerous legal articles and a book, "Mavericks, The
Lives and Battles of Montana Political Legends." John and his wife Cathy
have two daughters, Allison 14, and Amanda 11.
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