Montgomery, AL – The secretary of the Alabama Senate, McDowell Lee, has decided to retire after 47 years in the position.
The 84-year-old Lee said he will step down after the Legislature's next organizational session ends on Feb. 11, 2011.
Lee is the nation's longest serving legislative secretary. His many duties include supervising the Senate's staff and advising senators on operating rules. He got the job in 1963 after serving eight years in the Alabama House, representing Barbour County. In the job, Lee usually sits beside the lieutenant governor in the Senate chamber.
Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. called Lee ``an Alabama institution'' and ``a master parliamentarian who is recognized nationally.''
Lee said Tuesday he's unsure what he will do after he retires in 13 months, but he won't become a lobbyist.
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