Stan Turley, who served as House speaker and Senate president in a legislative career that extended from 1965 to 1986, reminisced about his days in the Legislature during the opening ceremonies on Jan. 12 for the 2004 regular session.

“Thirty-nine years ago today, I came here as a freshman out of Queen Creek,” he told House members. “We had a 63-day session. We were paid $200 a week for nine weeks. If we went any longer we had to have a special session, or we worked without pay.”

The current House Speaker Jake Flake, R-Dist. 5, introduced Mr. Turley as “my idol.”

Mr. Flake said that Mr. Turley was born and reared on a ranch about 20 miles outside Snowflake where Mr. Flake grew up. One day, Mr. Turley and his father showed up on the front porch of the Flake home.

“His father said he was going to live with us while he was going to high school,” said Mr. Flake.

The two did chores together. Mr. Turley recalled that Mr. Flake often held a cow’s tail while Mr. Turley milked the animal.

“He was a pretty good tail holder,” said Mr. Turley, although he said Mr. Flake often let go.

Mr. Turley also described his election as speaker in 1967, just two years after he entered the House. He recalled that because of reapportionment, Republicans had taken control of the House, Senate and the Governor’s Office.

“That had never happened before,” he said.

John Pritzlaff and Burton Barr were deadlocked in their run for speaker, he said.

“We thought we had to organize the first day so we kept at it through the night,” said Mr. Turley.

Finally, a group of Tucson legislators decided that they could most easily deal with Mr. Turley, and he was elected speaker.

“I had no business being speaker,” he said. “One term was plenty.”

He moved to the Senate in 1973 and served there until 1986. He was Senate President from 1983 to 1986. Mr. Turley’s name has appeared on lists calling him one of the “10 Most Important Arizonans,” along with the late lawmaker Burton Barr, Carl Hayden and Barry Goldwater.

Mr. Turley reminisced about other legislators, including the current Senate Minority Leader. “Jack Brown was here when I came,” he said.

“Burton Barr came in the same day I did. He learned more by talking than by listening. I never saw anybody like that. Bob Stump had as much integrity as anyone I ever met. He’s going to be missed.” —