State Legislature
Morelle was first elected to the State Assembly in 1990. He ran uncontested in the November 2008 general election and won the November 2010 general election with 61 percent of the vote.
During his tenure in the State Legislature, among the more than 75 laws authored by Morelle are major reforms to the workers compensation system, laws to require carbon monoxide detectors in one- and two-family homes, toughen regulations governing charitable organizations, protect the elderly and ill who live in nursing homes or receive home based health care, and increased senior citizens' real property tax exemption. Morelle has sponsored bills to exempt veterans from certain state licensing fees, protect their gravesites and assist them with regard to the civil service application process.
In January 2001, Morelle was appointed the Chairman of the Assembly Standing Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development. He worked with area leaders to develop Rochester as a center for tourism and the arts in Western New York.
In addition to the Tourism Committee, Morelle’s standing committee assignments include Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry; Higher Education; Local Governments; and Libraries and Education Technology. At his request, the Speaker created the Subcommittee on Manufacturing in order to give New York’s manufacturing sector a greater voice in state government.
In 2005, Morelle issued a report, “Creating a State of Innovation: Unleashing The Power of New York’s Entrepreneurial Economy,” detailing New York’s economic decline, particularly in Upstate, and offering numerous policy recommendations to reverse this years-long trend.
In 2005, Morelle was elected chairman of the Monroe County Democratic Committee.
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