Archive for the ‘Lieutenant Governor News’ Category

From the NY Times:

Mr. Ravitch’s personal lawyer rushed from Manhattan to the restaurant, where the lieutenant-governor-to-be held up his right hand and recited the oath of office at 8:45 p.m., in between bites of his steak. The impromptu swearing-in made his appointment official before Republicans were able to persuade a judge on Long Island to block him from office. A waiter documented the occasion by snapping a photo with Mr. Ravitch’s wife’s cellphone.

So began the surreal journey of the 76-year-old Mr. Ravitch, who was perfectly content spending his golden years attending meetings of the various boards he sits on, running his investment consulting firm and honing his skills as an amateur woodworker.

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From the Idaho Press-Tribune:

Lt. Gov. Brad Little offered sharp words Thursday about the Pentagon’s decision to deny a flyover at this year’s God and Country Family Festival.

Little was a leading speaker at the July 1 event.

“This is political correctness run amok,” Little said in a statement. “This non-denominational event honors all branches of the American Armed Forces and reminds us of the sacrifices our founders were prepared to suffer on behalf of the liberties and freedoms we hold dear.”

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Despite warnings from the Attorney General, Governor Paterson has appointed a Lieutenant Governor:

Mr. Paterson said he hoped the appointment of Mr. Ravitch, a lifelong public servant who was chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority during the late 1970s and early 1980s, would break a tie between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and send them back into session after a month of no work. The lieutenant governor presides over the senate and can break voting ties.

But Senate Republicans denounced the selection as illegal. Political watchers say they assume that there soon will be a constitutional challenge to the appointment, as well as any laws on which Mr. Ravitch casts a vote.

The governor said that if there is a legal challenge, he wanted it to be made “expeditiously.”

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From LoHud.com:

Gov. David Paterson is set to take to the airwaves at 5:01 p.m. today to address the ongoing Senate fight amid speculation that he may seek to name a lieutenant governor to end the stalemate.

Paterson has requested live airtime on television networks today in order “to address the current Senate stalemate and its impact on all New Yorkers,” the advisory states.

Earlier this week Paterson said he would look into whether he could legally appoint a lieutenant governor, a seat now vacant, to break the gridlock in the Senate. A lieutenant governor could break any tie vote in the Senate, which is now deadlocked 31-31.

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From JuneauBlogger.com:

Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell had an unremarkable first year in office, loyally supporting Gov. Sarah Palin.

But in the past year and half, a crescendo of unexpected announcements and dramatic developments have thrust him into a more prominent role, culminating with his unanticipated move into the No. 1 seat announced Friday. One day later a spokesman for the governor’s office said Parnell would seek a full term in 2010. But for the next year and a half the job is all his.

Parnell made headlines in March 2008 with his surprise decision to run against 18-term incumbent Don Young in the U.S. House Republican primary, a race he narrowly lost. At the time, he told the Anchorage Daily News he was running to restore “integrity and budget discipline.”

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From the Post and Courier:

If Sanford steps down and is replaced by Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, then the state’s constitution appears to call on McConnell to replace Bauer as lieutenant governor.

In effect, the Charleston Republican would be demoted from his top Senate leadership post to a part-time constitutional officer, and it’s a change he doesn’t want.

“I don’t think any resignation by the governor is imminent, at least based on the latest stuff I’ve heard,” McConnell said Wednesday. “It does present problems for me, there’s no question about that.”

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From Projo.com:

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts will not run for governor in 2010, according to a surprise announcement Wednesday afternoon that squelched widespread speculation the Cranston Democratic would compete for Rhode Island’s most powerful elected post.

The move comes just two months after the first-term lieutenant governor unveiled a high-profile “campaign team” to explore a gubernatorial bid.

Roberts, 52, offered no direct explanation for her decision, saying only that she would seek another term in her current office, while “pledging to use her position to make health care affordable for every Rhode Islander.”

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From Statesman.com:

Either way, if the leaders’ predictions hold true, the special session could be one of the shortest since a three-day special session in June 1987.

“The Senate will get it done in less than three days,” Dewhurst said in a wide-ranging interview Tuesday. “I’m actually shooting for having the bills come back from committee late tomorrow afternoon, and either passing them tomorrow night or Thursday morning.”

In a series of meetings before the session begins, Dewhurst said, senators are working to resolve issues and get their questions answered before the opening gavel falls at 10 a.m.. “They may have the (three) bills virtually memorized by (this) morning,” he joked.

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