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Lieutenant Governor of Utah
| Utah Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2013 FY Budget: | $39,193,900 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Utah Constitution, Article VII Section 1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Gregory Bell |
| Officeholder Party: | Republican |
| Assumed office: | September 1, 2009 |
| Compensation: | $104,000 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 8, 2016 |
| Last election: | November 6, 2012 |
| Other Utah Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Attorney General •Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
Current officer
- See also: Current Lieutenant Governors
The 7th and current lieutenant governor is Gregory Bell. Bell, a Republican, assumed office on September 1, 2009 after the position became vacant when then-Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert took office as Governor of Utah. Following the special election held to coincide with the 2010 midterms, both Gov. Herbert and Lt. Gov. Bell will serve in their current office until the next scheduled election.
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of the lieutenant governor in Article VII Section 1, the Executive Department.
Under Article VII, Section 1 of the state's Constitution,
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The Executive Department shall consist of Governor, Lieutenant Governor... |
The Utah Code elaborates on the authority of the office in Title 67, Chapter 1a, Section 1.
Under Chapter 1a, Section 1:
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It is the intent of the Legislature to emphasize the significant responsibilities and duties assigned to the lieutenant governor of the state. As the second highest official of the state, the lieutenant governor is next in command of the executive department in the event of death, removal, resignation, or disability of the governor. The assignment of important responsibilities to the lieutenant governor is essential to the continuity of state government and for the effective use of funds appropriated to the office of lieutenant governor. |
Qualifications
| Governors |
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| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 Lists of candidates |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 |
| Breaking news |
In order to be eligible for the office of lieutenant governor, a candidate must be:
- at least 30 years old
- a resident of Utah for at least five years on the day of the election
- a United States citizen
- a qualified elector of Utah at the time of election
Additionally sitting Lieutenant Governors may not hold any federal office, any state office other than the governorship, or be elected to the United States Senate during his term.
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
Utah elects lieutenant governors in the Presidential elections, that is, in leap years. For Utah, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 are all lieutenant gubernatorial election years. Legally, the lieutenant gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Monday in the January following an election. Thus, January 7, 2013 and January 2, 2017 are inaugural days.
In Utah, the governor and lieutenant governor are always elected on a shared ticket in both the primary and the general elections, meaning the two officers will always belong to the same party.
In the event of a tie between two candidates, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots to choose among the top two vote getters.
2012
Incumbents Gary Herbert and Greg Bell (R) won re-election in 2012. They defeated Democrats Peter Cooke and Vince Rampton, Libertarians Ken Larsen and Rob Latham, and Constitution Party candidates Kirk Pearson and Tim Alders in the November 6, 2012 general election.
| Governor of Utah General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Peter Cooke and Vince Rampton | 27.7% | 253,514 | |
| Republican |  Gary Herbert and Greg Bell Incumbent |
68.4% | 624,678 | |
| Libertarian | Ken Larsen and Rob Latham | 2.2% | 19,956 | |
| Constitution | Kirk Pearson and Tim Alders | 1.7% | 15,548 | |
| Total Votes | 913,696 | |||
| Election Results via State of Utah. | ||||
Vacancies
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article VII, Section 10.
Vacancies in the lieutenant governor's offices are filled by a gubernatorial appointment, with the consent of the State Senate. The appointee must be from the same political party as the governor.
Duties
Duties of the office are enumerated in the Utah Code, under Title 67, Chapter 1a, Section 2.
The Lieutenant Governor is the first in the line of succession in the event that the Governor is incapacitated or absent or when the elected Governor dies, resigns, or is removed. She also executes any gubernatorial powers delegated to her by the Governor.
The office of the Secretary of State in Utah was abolished in 1976 and those duties given to the Lieutenant Governor. The lieutenant governor has since become charges with overseeing key components of the initiative process. The lieutenant governor's additional duties include the oversight of all notaries public, the legal authentication of documents, maintaining oversight and regulation of registered lobbyists, certifying municipal annexations, maintaining oversight over all elections, and serving as the "keeper" of The Great Seal of the State of Utah.
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Serving as the chief election officer of Utah
- Keeping a register of, and attesting to, all official acts of the Governor
- Serving as the Governor's liaison the to legislature
- Serving as an adviser to the Governor on policy, fiscal, and budgetary matters
- Sitting on or chairing commissions, boards, committees, and cabinet agencies as delegated by the Governor
Role in the initiative process
Filing an initiative
To begin the initiative process a sponsor must first obtain an application and submit it to the lieutenant governor's office along with a statement indicating whether or not circulators will be paid for their efforts.
The lieutenant governor will then accept or reject the petition. The petition will be rejected if the proposed initiative is patently unconstitutional, nonsensical, is unable to become law if passed, of if the initiative is identical or substantially similar to an initiative submitted in the last two years.
Public Hearings
When the initiative is approved by the lieutenant governor, the sponsor must then hold seven public hearings throughout the state prior to circulating the petitions. The sponsor must alert the lieutenant governor, each state senator, state representative, and county commissioner or county council member in which the county will be held of the upcoming meeting. Sponsors must also sent out written notification and place a notice in the region's newspaper.
While holding the hearings, the sponsor must generate audio or video recordings (or detailed minutes) and provide them to the lieutenant governor who will provide copies to the public.
Signature Verification
Signatures are submitted to the county clerk by June 1st.
State budget
The budget for the Governor/Lieutenant Governor's Office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $39,193,900.[2]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
- See also: Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries
The lieutenant governor's pay is set by law and may not be increased or diminished effective during the current term.
In 2012, the Utah Lieutenant Governor was paid an estimated $104,000. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
Contact information
Utah State Capitol Complex
P.O. Box 142325
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-2325
Phone:800-705-2464
Fax:801-538-1133
See also
External links
References
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