When the Alabama Legislature convenes next month, it will be the first time in almost three decades that Johnny Mack Morrow won't be among its ranks.
Morrow served as District 18 representative in the Alabama House for seven terms, from 1990-2018. He vacated his seat last year in order to make a run at the Alabama Senate.
While Morrow fell short of his bid to represent District Six, his political legacy for Northwest Alabama will continue to resonate for years to come.
With political partisanship seemingly at an all-time high, Morrow possessed the ability to cross party lines and remain effective for his district, even though the numbers of his fellow House Democrats dwindled.
He was a founding member and program chairman of the Rural Caucus, the only bipartisan caucus in the entire Alabama House. When it came to advocating for and protecting his district, Morrow wasn't afraid to cross party lines, or any line drawn in the sand for that matter.
One of his most instrumental accomplishments came in securing funding for making a four-lane highway on Alabama 24, part of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Corridor V.
In his first term, Morrow saw a developmental highway map that showed no plans to improve Alabama 24 in a 20-year plan. Morrow went to meet with Congressman Tom Bevill and used personal connections to have Alabama 24 designated as an ARC corridor, meaning the project would receive 80 percent federal funding. That was a major move for a freshman legislator at the time.
Morrow had the vision to realize industrial development for his district was tied to infrastructure improvements.
Morrow was pleased to see the recent completion of the project from the Alabama state line to Russellville, but he continued to press Mississippi officials to do their part and connect 24 to I-22, something that remains undone.
While the Highway 24 expansion was ongoing, Morrow worked with Alabama Department of Transportation officials to protect Burnout Baptist Church and the Belgreen High School softball field parking lot from being consumed by the project.
Another major contribution by Morrow as a freshman legislator was to co-sponsor then-Gov. Jim Folsom Jr.'s economic incentive package that landed the Mercedes automotive plant in Vance. The economic ripples from that legislation continue today with thousands of jobs coming as a result.
If you asked Morrow his position on issues, he'd tell you he was in favor of the people of his district having the right to decide on their own through a vote. That happened time and time again as a result of Morrow fighting for the people's right to vote.
Franklin County remains Alabama's only county to have passed a constitutional amendment protecting the people's right to elect the Franklin County Superintendent of Education, a direct result of Morrow's efforts.
And when it came to protecting and advocating for public education, you could count on Morrow being at the front of the legislative line.
“Johnny Mack Morrow is a true public education advocate,” said Russellville City Schools Superintendent of Education Heath Grimes. “He's been very supportive of teacher and students and always was there to help with projects if at all possible. I appreciate his work in the legislature over the years.”
Morrow is Alabama's only legislator who passed a bill allowing the sheriff and school officials to create a school security force in public schools. This bill was passed for Franklin County Schools in 2013 , overriding then-Gov. Robert Bentley veto.
When it came to the controversial Alabama Accountability Act, Morrow fought against the legislation like a bulldog protecting its bone. Morrow combated efforts to expand the legislation in 2017 by setting up informational meetings with the Rural Caucus which resisted expansion of the legislation.
Eddie Britton, a retired educator, administrator and the Chairman of the Franklin County Democratic Executive Committee, said he admires Morrow for his willingness to take a stance on issues he believed in.
“We have lost another true patriot in Alabama government in Johnny Mack Morrow, who served us faithfully for 28 years,” Britton said. “Even if you did not agree with him on all issues, he wanted to do what he believed was right for the people in his district. He helped a lot of people with a lot of issues.”
Morrow sponsored legislation to eliminate the duplication, competition and inefficiency of multiple water systems across Franklin County. That legislation created the Franklin County Water Service Authority.
When plans were announced in the early 1990s for Northwest Junior College to merge with Shoals Community College, Morrow fought the merger from day one, as he maintained the merger would eventually destroy the Phil Campbell campus.
More than 25 years after the 1993 merger, concerns remain about the lower enrollment, reduced course load and declining infrastructure of NWSCC's Phil Campbell campus.
After the April 27, 2011, tornadoes that ravaged much of Northwest Alabama, Morrow was on site almost immediately, working extensively on recovery efforts. Morrow organized support groups and helped coordinate responses to the worst natural disaster Franklin County has ever endured.
He sponsored bipartisan legislation that provided funding to rebuild both Phil Campbell and Hackleburg High Schools.
Morrow worked daily toward seeing his dream of broadband wireless internet available to rural areas of Franklin County and Northwest Alabama. He set up the state's only county broadband authority through a 2014 constitutional amendment that gave the Franklin County Water Authority the ability to negotiate for broadband wireless internet and to move forward making the “Information Highway” a reality in Franklin County.
When talk of constructing four mega-prisons in Alabama began, at a cost of nearly $1 billion, Morrow organized the Bettis Commission (tasked with finding solutions to Alabama's troubled prison system) and fought the effort to build the prisons with no-bid contracts. Morrow advocated for openness in the process and fought for public disclosure of the proposed location of the mega-prisons. Ultimately, the efforts of Morrow and other opponents killed the $850 million bond issue, although the issue is expected to rear its head again in 2019.
Morrow's purchase of Cypress Cove Farms saw him and his wife Martha open the farm to the public for events including an annual farm day, birding trails, veterans activities, youth trapping workshops, Camp Courage, and many other events for Northwest Alabama students.
He partnered with the Red Bay American Legion to host annual Veterans Day activities for more than 1,200 children each year, with the focus on the theme that 'your freedom isn't free.' The program introduced children to veterans who shared their personal accounts of serving their country.
Camp Courage, now in its sixth year, was created by Morrow to offer a camping experience for blind and deaf children. Children from four states attended the 2018 camp.
Morrow may not hold a seat in the Alabama Legislature any longer, but his tireless dedication to the people he represented will continue to live on through his many accomplishments.
“We will miss his leadership. His legacy includes seeing the completion of Highway 24 and his tireless work for broadband service for rural areas and his concern for our community colleges, as well as his contributions to helping the young people across Northwest Alabama,” Britton said.
