Tim Morland talks for a living. And he talks fast.
Morland is the Assembly Reading Clerk. It’s his job to read the bills into the record before the Assembly acts on them. Morland he learned to be a speed talker when he first got hired in the Clerk’s office. Part of his job included reading Assembly legislation out loud to make sure it was up-to-date and correct.
“I tried to read quickly and keep up with the person I was working with at the time,” Morland said.
When the Assembly Reading Clerk position opened up about five years ago, Morland got the gig. He said he once rattled of more than 160 bills in a row, a feat which won him praise from some Assembly members. He’s had his slip-ups too, though it’s hard to blame him.
“Actually on the second to last night of session this year I stumbled on Adrenoleukodystrophy,” he admits.
Still, Morland said talking fast isn’t that difficult compared to the rest of his job, keeping track of what the Assembly is going to do next.
“I need to know where they’re going on the file. I need to know what’s coming up,” he said. “I have to know the rules also.”
But Morland knows his fast talking is what gets him noticed. And he can’t go to party without being asked to show off his skills.
“Yes, that happens all the time,” he said. “Menus, a list of guests at the party… People ask me to read a lot.”
Morland won’t have to read out loud for awhile. The Assembly is on break until January.
The Senate also has a Reading Clerk, Zach Twilla. Twilla has been in the job since 2009. He also speaks very fast.
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