Supreme Court Asked To Order Governor To Appt New Lt. Gov.
BY BUDDY NEVINS
A case has been filed with the Flordia Supreme Court asking justices to order Gov. Rick Scott to appoint a new lieutenant governor “within a reasonable period.”
The case filed by a lobbyist for the Florida National Organization for Women alleges that the governor has dragged his feet on naming a new lieutenant governor and that “there would be a constitutional crisis if the Governor were to become physically or mentally incapacitated or were impeached.”
Former Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigned in March, 2013, more than nine months ago. It is now “more than seven months since he promised to ‘start looking’ after the legislative session ended,” according to the case.
The link to the petition for mandamus is here: Filed_01-06-2014_Petition_Mandamus
January 6th, 2014 at 3:43 pm
Many of us think the Governor has been mentally incapacitated for years, but it hasn’t stopped him thus far.
NAN RICH 2014!
January 6th, 2014 at 7:20 pm
Obviously, Governor Scott is avoiding the nomination of a Lt. Governor because it will likely create a political fire storm during a contested re-election campaign. However, as to the law:
The Florida statute governing succession to the Office of Governor is clear in all but one respect. No time period is established for a Governor to name a Lt. Governor in the event that office becomes vacant.
As to succession itself the Lt. Governor becomes governor in event that office becomes vacant. However if there is no Lt. Governor then the job goes to the Attorney General, then to the Chief Financial Officer, then to the Secretary of Agriculture in that order.
If all of those are not alive or able to serve, then the office of governor goes to the Speaker of the House followed by the President of the Senate. If they’re all vacant or unable to serve, then the House and Senate together select a Governor to serve the rest of the vacant Governor’s term.
There is a responsibility to name a Lt. Governor but the statute does say when. The argument is strong that in the absence of a required time frame Governor Scott may take all the time he wants to make nominate a new Lt. Governor especially since the inability to fill his office should it become vacant is highly unlikely.
http://laws.flrules.org/node/2015
January 6th, 2014 at 9:22 pm
Pick me Pick Me Pick me I screwed up BSO let me try the whole state.
January 7th, 2014 at 7:53 am
He’ll pick one this year since one will be on the ballot for November. Probably that is what he is waiting for and the court will not grant the petition.