House clerk given retirement party

300 honor his 33 years at Capitol

The Arizona Republic .

In an era of term limits, quick turnover and stair-stepping politicians, Norm Moore is an institution.

After serving 30 years in the Arizona House of Representatives, Moore is wrapping up his duties as clerk of the House. For the past 17 years, he has served as chief clerk, overseeing the House's legislative process, tracking bills, logging statistics and dispensing advice.

Another, unofficial, part of his job has been to stock the heavily visited candy counter in the Clerk's Office, a fact that has been noted by many a Capitol regular.

Moore, 54, first arrived at the House in fall 1976, when he was hired as a page. That marked the start of a string of 33 years of serving in the House, interrupted only by three years away for law school. Not as impressive a string as the home-sellout record of his beloved Nebraska Cornhusker football team (47 years), but exceptional in the churning world of the state Capitol.

Last week, his staff borrowed a page from lawmakers' playbooks and tapped lobbyists to help stage a going-away fete for Moore, whose retirement is effective Dec. 31. The event drew close to 300 people, from Gov. Jan Brewer to past and current legislators to staffers who have worked with Moore over three decades.

"You're like an extended family," Moore told the crowd. "You are part of my family."

He recalled the historic events that have marked his tenure: Sandbagging the Capitol against floodwaters, living through the impeachment of Ev Mecham, watching the AzScam political-corruption scandal unfold.

Moore won't go far from the Capitol: He plans to return as early as next month as a lobbyist, working with veteran lobbyist Don Isaacson.

So beloved is Moore, Isaacson said, that he was unable to pry him away from the Capitol in the 1990s.

The chief of staff to then-House Speaker Jane Hull called him off, Isaacson recalled, warning him that if he took Moore, then an assistant clerk, that Isaacson would never be welcome at the House. Isaacson backed down, Moore remained and eventually became chief clerk.

His send-off ceremony was marked by a top 10 list Moore's "real" reasons for leaving the House, and capped off with a goodbye ditty from Secretary of State Ken Bennett and former lawmaker Rusty Bowers, set to the tune of "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown."

"The one, the only Norman Moore/

Finest man on the whole House floor/

Keeping all the trains on time/

Retiring on the state's last dime!"