MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2003 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representative Brown, Whittington, Barbour, Blackmon, Broomfield, Capps, Chism, Clarke, Fleming, Grist, Howell, Maples, Mayo, Moody, Morris, Peranich, Perkins, Pierce, Scott (17th), Smith (35th), Stevens, Thomas, Warren, Watson, Barnett (92nd)
A RESOLUTION COMMENDING MIKE MOORE FOR HIS OUTSTANDING AND DEDICATED SERVICE AS ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI AND CONGRATULATING HIM UPON HIS RETIREMENT.
WHEREAS, an outstanding and loyal public servant, Attorney General Mike Moore has labored as a public servant to the State of Mississippi for twenty-five years; and
WHEREAS, General Moore began his career in public service as an assistant district attorney in 1977 and in 1979, advanced to become the state's youngest district attorney, a position he retained until he was elected Attorney General in 1987; and
WHEREAS, General Moore has been supported by his wife, Tisha, and son, Kyle, throughout his many pursuits; and
WHEREAS, because he is one who is never afraid to fight for what he believes to be right, Attorney General Moore filed the first lawsuit against 13 tobacco companies in 1994, which gained him national attention and made Mississippi the first state to insist that cigarette manufacturers reimburse the state for costs incurred for treating smoking-related illnesses; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the lawsuit, Mississippi received a settlement payment of $4.1 billion, and following General Moore's lead, a $240 billion settlement was reached covering other states; and
WHEREAS, General Moore serves as Chairman of the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, an organization charged with combating tobacco use among our state's youth that has seen a 30 percent reduction in teen smoking rates during the Attorney General's tenure; and
WHEREAS, General Moore has, in recent years, turned his attention to helping young people in Mississippi by doubling the number of Boys and Girls Clubs of America in our state, by recruiting more than 5,000 mentors for young people in our state through the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Mississippi and the Mississippi Mentoring Network; and
WHEREAS, many honors have been bestowed upon Attorney General Mike Moore throughout his career, such as: in 1992, he was selected the first resident Mississippian to become one of the Ten Most Outstanding Young Americans; in 1994, his fellow Attorneys General honored him with the prestigious Wyman Award, which named him the most outstanding Attorney General in the nation; and, in 1998, he was recognized as "Lawyer of the Year" by the National Law Journal and as "Public Official of the Year" by Governing Magazine; and
WHEREAS, General Moore has brought honor to himself and to our state by holding many distinguished positions, such as: President of the National Association of Attorneys General; Chairman of the Mississippi Mentoring Network; Representative of the National Association of Attorneys General for the Council of State Governments; Chairman of the Mississippi's Substance Abuse Policy Council; Representative to the Advisory Board of the National Resource Center for Child Advocacy and Protection for the National Association of Attorneys General; and board member for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to name just a few of the many ways that he contributes his talents; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Legislature to recognize and pay tribute to a Mississippian who exemplifies the meaning of dedicated public service and loyalty to our great state:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend Attorney General Mike Moore for his outstanding and dedicated service as Attorney General for the State of Mississippi and congratulate him upon his retirement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Attorney General Mike Moore and to the Capitol Press Corps.