Indiana Governor
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The current governor of Indiana is Republican Mitch Daniels.
Authority
The governor of Indiana has wide-ranging executive authority to manage the government of the state and is the chief executive of the executive branch of the state government. These powers are established in the Indiana Constitution. The governor works in concert with the Indiana General Assembly and the Supreme Court of Indiana to govern the state. As an independent branch, the governor has the ability to balance the other branches. Among these abilities is the power to veto legislation passed by the Indiana General Assembly. If vetoed, a bill is returned to the General Assembly for reconsideration where they may override the veto with a supermajority. The governor also has the ability to call a special session of the General Assembly, who can otherwise not assemble longer than is permitted by the constitution.
The governor can influence the courts by using the appointment power. The Judicial Nominating Commission creates a list of three candidates from which the governor chooses one who will serve on the state courts. This authority gives the governor considerable sway in setting the makeup of the judiciary.
Among his other powers, the governor can call out the state defense force or the Indiana National Guard in times of emergency or disaster. The governor is also charged with the enforcement of all the state's laws and the Indiana Code which is carried out through the Indiana State Police. The governor also has the ability to pardon or commute the sentence of any criminal offenders except in cases of treason or impeachment.
The annual salary of the governor of Indiana is $95,000.
Qualifications
To become governor of Indiana, a candidate must have been a United States citizen and lived within Indiana for the period of five consecutive years before the election. The candidate must also be at least 30 years old when sworn into office. The governor may not hold any other state or federal office during his term, and must resign from any such position before being eligible to be sworn in as governor. Before taking the office, the candidate must swear an oath of office administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indiana, promising to uphold the constitution and laws of Indiana.
Term limits
Once elected, a governor serves a four-year term beginning on the date he is sworn into office; inauguration day is the second Monday in January. He remains governor until his successor takes the oath office and ends his term. The governor's term can be short if he resigns, dies, become incapacitated or impeached. There is no limit to how many terms a governor may serve, however the governor is limited to only serving two consecutive terms at a time. To be eligible to run for a third term, the governor would have to sit out for one election period.
Succession
If the governor becomes incapacitated then the lieutenant governor of Indiana becomes acting-governor until his recovery. If the governor resigns, dies, or is impeached, tried, and convicted, then the lieutenant governor becomes governor. If the office of the lieutenant governor is vacant, then the Senate Pro-Tempore becomes governor. If the office of Senate Pro-Tempore is also vacant then the senate must elect a new Pro-Tempore to fill the governor's office.
Contact information
Office of the Governor
Statehouse
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2797
Phone: 317-232-4567
See also
- Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels
- Indiana Lieutenant Governor
- Indiana Attorney General
- Indiana Secretary of State
External links
References
Portions of this article were adapted from Wikipedia.
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