Lieutenant Governor of Vermont

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont is the second-highest elected statewide official in Vermont and the first in the line of succession to the Governor of Vermont. The office functions at the intersection of the Vermont State Legislature and the Executive Department of Vermont, blending presiding duties in the Vermont Senate with executive contingency roles tied to the Constitution of Vermont. The lieutenant governor frequently engages with statewide institutions such as the Vermont Agency of Transportation, University of Vermont, Vermont State Police, Vermont Department of Health, and interacts with federal entities including the United States Department of Justice, United States Congress, and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Role and Powers

The lieutenant governor presides over the Vermont Senate and casts tie-breaking votes guided by precedents from other states like New York (state), Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The office exercises statutory powers delineated by the Constitution of Vermont and specific statutes passed by the Vermont General Assembly, coordinating with leaders such as the President Pro Tempore of the Vermont Senate, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, Governor of Vermont, and members of the Vermont Judicial Branch including the Vermont Supreme Court. The lieutenant governor holds appointments to boards and commissions such as the Vermont Economic Development Authority, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Vermont Public Utility Commission advisory panels, and occasional seats on intergovernmental consortia with the New England Governors' Conference and the National Lieutenant Governors Association.

Election and Term

Vermont elects its lieutenant governor on a statewide ballot at the same election as the Governor of Vermont and other statewide officers, following processes outlined by the Vermont Secretary of State and regulated under statutes influenced by precedents from the Help America Vote Act and administration practices of the Federal Election Commission. Candidates typically emerge from parties such as the Democratic Party (United States), Republican Party (United States), Progressive Party (United States), and independent campaigns comparable to those of figures like Bernie Sanders, Howard Dean, and Peter Welch. The term is two years with no term limits, matching the cycle used for members of the Vermont House of Representatives and Vermont Senate and synchronized with statewide primaries supervised by the Vermont Republican State Committee and Vermont Democratic Party.

Duties and Responsibilities

Presiding over the Vermont Senate is a principal duty, where the lieutenant governor manages legislative sessions, enforces chamber rules paralleling practices in the United States Senate and state senates like New Hampshire Senate, and coordinates with committee chairs and ranking members, including those of the Senate Committee on Finance and Senate Committee on Judiciary. The office advances policy priorities through advocacy before agencies such as the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Vermont Department of Education, and Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, often partnering with officials like the Vermont Attorney General and municipal leaders from cities including Burlington, Vermont and Rutland, Vermont. The lieutenant governor represents Vermont at regional gatherings including the Eastern States Exposition and national forums such as the National Governors Association and the Council of State Governments.

History and Notable Officeholders

Established at statehood in 1791, the office has been held by early figures like Paul Brigham and later by nationally notable Vermonters including Jim Douglas, who became Governor of Vermont, and Phil Scott, who also advanced from lieutenant governorship to gubernatorial leadership. Other prominent holders have interacted with national politics exemplified by ties to Calvin Coolidge, Howard Dean, Patrick Leahy, Bernie Sanders, and policy debates involving agencies like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and events such as the Great Flood of 1927. The office’s history reflects Vermont’s shifts among parties including the Whig Party (United States), Republican Party (United States), Democrats, and the Progressive movement, and connects to institutions like the University of Vermont, Middlebury College, Saint Michael's College, and Norwich University which have produced statewide leaders.

Succession and Acting Governor Provisions

Under the Constitution of Vermont and state statutes, the lieutenant governor succeeds to the gubernatorial office in cases of vacancy arising from death, resignation, or removal, mirroring succession frameworks in states such as New York (state), Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Provisions define when the lieutenant governor becomes Acting Governor of Vermont during the Governor of Vermont's illness, absence, or incapacity, coordinating with the Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont Attorney General for legal determinations. Contingency procedures involve the Vermont Secretary of State for certification and, if both the governor and lieutenant governor offices are vacant, succession continues to officials like the President Pro Tempore of the Vermont Senate and the Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives following constitutional order and precedents from cases involving succession disputes in other states.

Category:Vermont