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Tennessee's Constitutional Officers

The following indexes list the individuals who have served as one of Tennessee's Constitutional Officers.

  • Tennessee Adjutants General
    The Adjutant General, a constitutional officer of the state, is appointed by the governor. The Adjutant General is responsible for the leadership and command of the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, the Tennessee State Guard and the Bureau of War Records.
  • Tennessee Attorneys General and Reporters
    The Office of Attorney General and Reporter is established by Article VI, Section 5 of the Tennessee Constitution. The attorney general is appointed by the justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court for an eight-year term. The attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state. Through his staff, he represents the officers and agencies of the state in civil litigation before state and federal courts and the Claims Commission.
  • Tennessee Comptrollers of the Treasury
    The comptroller of the treasury is a constitutional officer elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years. State statutes prescribe his duties, the most important of which relate to audit of state and local government entities, and participation in the general financial and administrative management of state government.
  • Tennessee Secretaries of State
    The Tennessee Constitution provides that the secretary of state will be elected by the General Assembly, in joint session, for a four-year term. The Constitution also mandates that it is the secretary’s duty to keep a register of the official acts and proceedings of the governor, and, when required, to “lay same, all papers, minutes, and vouchers relative thereto, before the General Assembly.’’ Additionally, by authority of the Tennessee Code Annotated, the secretary of state serves on the following state boards and agencies: State Funding Board; Board of Equalization; Board of Claims; State Building Commission; Library and Archives Management Board, chairman; Tennessee Local Development Authority; Tennessee State School Bond Authority; Public Records Commission, chairman; Tennessee Housing Development Agency; Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees; State Capitol Commission; Tennessee Higher Education Commission; Chairs of Excellence Trust; State Trust of Tennessee; and Baccalaureate Education System Trust.
  • Tennessee Speakers of the House
    The speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House. Additionally, the speaker is second in line for succession to the governorship in the event of such need. The speaker appoints members to all committees, unless otherwise directed by the House; the chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary of each committee also are chosen by the speaker. The speaker is a voting member of all standing committees of the House, as is the speaker pro tempore.
  • Tennessee Speakers of the Senate
    The Tennessee Constitution mandates that the members of the Senate shall choose a speaker. Article 3, Section 12 of the Constitution also provides that the speaker of the Senate, in the event of a vacancy in the office of the governor, shall assume that office. Additionally, by statute, the speaker of the Senate holds the office of lieutenant governor of the state of Tennessee. As speaker of the Senate, various responsibilities include the maintaining of order in the Senate chamber and the direct supervision of the chief sergeant-atarms of the Senate. The speaker also has the power of appointment of all officers and members of Senate committees, unless otherwise directed by the Senate.
  • Tennessee State Treasurers
    The state Treasurer is a constitutional officer elected every two years in a joint session of both houses of the General Assembly. The Treasurer is charged with various responsibilities, most relating to the financial operations of state government, although additional duties have been delegated to the Treasury Department by the General Assembly. The Treasurer is responsible for the control and settlement of all state funds through bank accounts maintained by the Treasury Department.

 

Research prepared by TSLA Librarian Diane Black

Added January 5, 2011

 

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