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Lieutenant governor important

Having recently taken a short class in Arkansas history, I was curious about the election and duties of the second-in-command officer of our state government.

The position of lieutenant governor was created within the Sixth Amendment to the Arkansas Constitution in 1914. However, since it did not seem to be an important component of state government, it was not filled until 1927.

This unusual precedent existed because the original 1914 popular vote was so close that it did not meet the majority requirement. In 1925, it was discovered that the original 1910 referendum had been ignored since it had amended the definition of a majority vote on such a question.

The amendment was revitalized in 1926 and the first Arkansas lieutenant governor, Harvey Parnell, was elected. This convoluted process has resulted in voters choosing the holder of this office, originally for two years and then four years, for almost a century.

I spoke with Doyle Webb, a current candidate for lieutenant governor and a history enthusiast, to learn more about this office. The official duties are: Preside over the Senate (with a tie-breaking vote); serve as governor when he/she is out of state (if requested); and serve as governor if he/she is impeached, resigns, dies, or is unable to discharge the duties of office.

In addition, there are some interesting other duties in the Arkansas Code: Custodian of the Senate Chamber; appointing a member to the Arkansas Ethics Commission; and annually given 50 flags flown over the Capitol to distribute.

No public office is simple or easy. Our lieutenant governor actively executes duties which are important to our state’s vitality and prosperity; and does not just get up each day and ask: “How’s the governor?”