Governor of Rhode Island
| Rhode Island Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2013 FY Budget: | $5,515,431 |
| Term limits: | Two consecutive terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Rhode Island Constitution, Article IX, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Lincoln Chafee |
| Officeholder Party: | Independent |
| Assumed office: | January 4, 2011 |
| Compensation: | $129,210 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 2, 2010 |
| Other Rhode Island Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
Current officer
The 74th and current governor is Lincoln Chafee, an Independent elected in 2010.[1]
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article IX, the Executive Department.
Under Article IX, Section I:
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The chief executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor... |
Qualifications
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Under Article III, Of Qualification for Office, governors must be:
- a qualified elector of Rhode island
- not serving a sentence for, on probation for, or on parole for any felony
- not bound by any other oath of Office, including holding any other state office or holding a federal office
Elections
Rhode Island elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Rhode Island, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Tuesday in the January following an election. Thus, January 4, 2011 and January 6, 2015 are inaugural days.
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
Rhode Island governors are restricted to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must wait one term before being eligible to run again.
Rhode Island Constitution, Article IV, Section 1
| No person shall serve consecutively in the same general office for more than two (2) full terms, excluding any partial term of less than two (2) years previously served. |
Vacancies
- See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article IX, Sections 9 and 10.
If the office of the Governor becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, impeachment or inability to serve, the Lieutenant Governor will fill the office until a Governor is qualified to act or until the office is filled at the next election.
If the office of the Lieutenant Governor is also vacant, the Speaker of the House is the next in the line of succession.
Duties
The Governor is responsible for maintaining that laws are executed according to state law and the state constitution (§ 2).
Additionally, the Governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces (§ 3); has the responsibility to submit the state budget to General Assembly annually (§ 19), and may call for special sessions with the Assembly (§ 7).
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Appointing, with the consent of the Senate, all offices not otherwise provided for (§ 5)
- Adjourning the General Assembly when its members cannot agree to do so themselves (§ 6)
- Signing and sealing all commissions made by the state of Rhode Island (§ 8)
- Granting reprieves, after conviction, in all cases, except those of impeachment, until the end of the next session of the General Assembly (§ 4)
- Granting pardons, after conviction, in all cases, except those of impeachment, until the end of the next session of the General Assembly (§ 13)
- Vetoing bills, resolutions, and votes, subject to a two-thirds legislative override (§ 14)
State budget
The budget for the Governor's office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $5,515,431.[2]
Compensation
The governor's salary is legally fixed and may not be raised or decreased effective during the current term.
In 2012, the Rhode Island Governor was paid an estimated $129,210. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
Contact information
Office of the Governor
State House, Room 115
Providence, RI 02903
Phone:401-222-2080
Fax:401-222-8096
See also
- Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee
- Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
- Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts
- Rhode Island Attorney General
- Rhode Island Secretary of State
External links
References
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State of Rhode Island Providence (capital) |
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