DUTIES OF CALIFORNIA'S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Unlike the Vice President of the United States, to whom he is often compared, the Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer, elected in his own right, with discrete constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
Focused mainly on economic development, higher education and trade, those
duties include:
ACTING GOVERNOR
Under California's Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor serves as Acting
Governor whenever the Governor is out of the State, or is temporarily
disabled or under impeachment.
PRESIDENT, STATE SENATE
The Lieutenant Governor is President of the State Senate and votes in
case of a tie. With the partisan balance in the Senate becoming closer
and closer, this power -- like that of Vice President Al Gore -- may
become more important throughout the remainder of the 1990s.
CHAIR, CALIFORNIA COMMISSION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Lieutenant Governor chairs the California Commission for Economic
Development. The Lieutenant Governor also appoints the staff of the
Commission, and by tradition, nominates all non-ex-officio Commission
members. He also has wide latitude in directing the activities of the
Commission on issues related to the State's economic health.
CHAIR/MEMBER, STATE LANDS COMMISSION
Along with the State Controller and the Director of the Department of
Finance, the Lieutenant Governor sits on the State Lands Commission, a
body with wide-ranging environmental and public-trust responsibilities
for California's coastal and other waterways. Historically, the
Lieutenant Governor and the Controller have alternated as Chair of the
Commission.
REGENT, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
The Lieutenant Governor is one of seven ex-officio, voting members of the
Board of Regents, which sets policy for the nine-campus University of
California, including student fees, administrative personnel decisions,
and teaching and research guidelines. The Regents also oversee federal
contracts for work performed by the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, the
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in
New Mexico.
TRUSTEE, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
The Lieutenant Governor is one of five ex-officio, voting members of the
Board of Trustees, which sets policy for the 21-campus California State
University.
MEMBER, STATE JOB TRAINING COORDINATING COUNCIL
The Lieutenant Governor serves as a member of the State Job Training
Coordinating Council, which oversees federal grants provided under the
Job Training Partnership Act and advises the Governor, Legislature and
the State's public education institutions on the adequacy of vocational
education programs.
MEMBER, CALIFORNIA WORLD TRADE COMMISSION
Along with the Governor, Secretary of State and one member each from the
Assembly and State Senate, the Lieutenant Governor is an ex-officio
member of the California State World Trade Commission, which serves as
the primary agency responsible for coordination of activities to expand
international trade for the State of California. To help California
businesses identify new markets, the Lieutenant Governor also leads
economic trade missions to various parts of the world.
MEMBER, CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY COUNCIL
The Lieutenant Governor serves as a member of the California Emergency
Council, which is briefed on all current matters and needs related to
emergency preparedness and recommends administrative matters requiring
action by the Governor.
VICE CHAIR, COMMISSION OF THE CALIFORNIAS (INACTIVE)
The Commission of the Californias, of which the Lieutenant Governor
serves as Vice Chair, is currently inactive. With the recent passage of
NAFTA, a revitalized Commission could become an important coordinating
body between the State of California and the Mexican states on our
border.
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© California Voter Foundation 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 & 1998