Re-Elect Senator Sue Morano,RN in 2010
Re-Elect Senator Sue Morano,RN in 2010
Senator Morano, the only registered nurse in the Ohio General Assembly, was elected to the Ohio Senate in 2006 and serves as Ranking Minority Member on both the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Additionally, she serves on a number of other committees including Education and Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.
Senator Morano has been a nurse for over 25 years and was instrumental in organizing registered nurses in her work place. She continues to practice in the clinical setting part time while serving in the Senate as one way of staying in touch with the concerns or nurses in the work place.
Senator Morano has been an avid supporter of nursing legislation. In the 127th General Assembly, she played an instrumental role in House Bill 346/The Nurse Staffing Bill. She co-sponsored the legislation in the Senate working with Representative Hughes, other legislators, and stakeholders to help craft the bill. During the process, she was able to offer and successfully include 3 amendments, one of which enhanced the participation of bedside nurses.
Also in the 127th General Assembly, Senator Morano chaired the Nursing Education Study Committee created to study the current nurse faculty shortage and the shortage of clinical placement sites. Her leadership led to a number of recommendations from the committee which are reflected in SB 89 sponsored by her. The restructuring of the Nurse Education Assistance Loan Program (NEALP) will place valuable state resources where they are most needed. Adjusting the requirements to gain prescriptive authority for Advance Practice Nurses will facilitate APN’s coming from other states to Ohio. Other issues include enhancing data collection about the nursing work force as well the collaboration with the Ohio Skills Bank.
Senator Morano has demonstrated her commitment to address other health care needs. Some examples of bills she has sponsored or co-sponsored are:
- SB 4- to establish the Medicaid Buy-in for Workers with Disabilities Program;
- SB 4- to revise PASSPORT law, Assisted Living Medicaid waiver, and Residential State Supplement programs to allow for transfer of funds and to make an appropriation;
- SB 106- to create a task force to study cancer death rates among African Americans in Ohio;
- SB 131- to require the State Board of Education to adopt instructional standards in physical education, nutrition, and dental care; to specify physical education requirements for grades kindergarten through eight; to require physical education teachers to be licensed in their subject area;
- SB 168- to establish and operate the Ohio Health Care Plan to provide universal health care coverage to all Ohio residents.
Senator Morano values collaboration with her nursing colleagues. She encourages nurses to visit with her in Columbus and join her in committee hearings. She welcomes students to her committee meetings. She reaches out for other experts when she is not familiar with an issue.
Senator Morano is a role model for political involvement by nurses and supports the efforts of other nurses in politics. She readily shares her expertise with other nurse candidates. She provided both financial and personal support for Jan Lanier’s campaign for the Ohio House.