HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 8
(By Delegates Staton, Amores, Trump, Martin

and Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss)

Congratulating Morris E. "Mike" Mowery for receiving the 1997 Carter/Hellard Legislative Staff Award as the outstanding legislative staff member from the sixteen states of the Southern Legislative Conference.

Whereas, Morris E. "Mike" Mowery is from Kanawha County, West Virginia, was educated in the public schools of Wood County and graduated from the West Virginia University and the West Virginia University School of Law; and
Whereas, Morris E. "Mike" Mowery is the Chief Counsel for the House of Delegates and the House of Delegates' Judiciary Committee; and
Whereas, Morris E. "Mike" Mowery has been an advocate for the creation of a strong internal litigation team to represent the Legislature in court proceedings, and whose vision has been realized in the last several years with the employment of experienced full-time legal staff in each of the major committees to complement the Legislature's joint legal staff in legislative services; and
Whereas, Morris E. "Mike" Mowery has been a strident advocate for the protection and enhancement of a strong legislative branch in the separation of powers; and
Whereas, Morris E. "Mike" Mowery as the House of Delegates' Chief Counsel has impacted the House of Delegates in many ways ranging from the socialization of new legal staff to representing the Legislature in litigation on rule-making review and budgetary and financial matters; and
Whereas, Morris E. "Mike" Mowery has participated in the drafting of almost every major non-financial piece of legislation considered by the West Virginia Legislature since 1979, including drafting the rewriting of the state's Workers' Compensation law, drafting the first comprehensive driving while under the influence of alcohol interlock statute, which became a model for other states, drafting all of West Virginia's comprehensive domestic law rewrites, and drafting legislation restructuring the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection; and
Whereas, Morris E. "Mike" Mowery has been at the forefront of using the internet for legal research, searching the internet for the brightest ideas in bill drafting throughout the world and has based some of his bill drafts upon laws of other countries; and
Whereas, Past and present House of Delegates Judiciary Chairmen have relied on Morris E. "Mike" Mowery's advice and guidance; and
Whereas, The present House of Delegates Judiciary Chairman, Delegate Staton, has affectionately nicknamed Morris E. "Mike" Mowery "Yoda"; and
Whereas, Morris E. "Mike" Mowery's outstanding services to the citizens of West Virginia was recognized by the legislative services directors of the Southern Legislative Conference by awarding him with the 1997 Carter/Hellard Legislative Staff Award as the outstanding legislative staff member from the sixteen states of the Southern Legislative Conference; therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That Morris E. "Mike" Mowery be congratulated for receiving the 1997 Southern Legislative Conference Carter/Hellard Legislative Staff Award; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to Morris E. "Mike" Mowery.