State Rep. Terry Morrow, a DFLer from St. Peter who easily won re-election to a fourth term last month, says he's leaving the Legislature and his job as a professor at Gustavus Adolphus College to take a job in Chicago.
Morrow didn't even have a Republican challenger in the District 19A election.
Voters in the district will have a special election to replace Morrow early next year.
He said in a letter to legislators that he was approached after the election to take the job with the Uniform Law Commission in Chicago. He said he will lead the organization's "legislative efforts across the United States and to work with other countries on multinational legal issues. The ULC provides states with non-partisan, well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to state statutory law. This is an exciting opportunity for me to continue contributing to the public good in a new and challenging manner."
He said it was a tough decision:
"We weighed many factors, including moving to a new state, changing high schools, and preparing the Gustavus fall 2013 course schedule. Departing a community and college and friends with whom we have shared our lives for almost 20 years led us to reflect carefully on this choice. Living here, raising our children here, working here has been a blessed experience for Martha and me."
His resignation from the Legislature is effective Jan. 7. The new session starts the next day.