“What Does A Lieutenant Governor Really Do?”

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What Does A Lieutenant Governor Really Do? Posted: 05 Oct 2010 03:08 PM PDT    Print     Share +    Oct 5, 2010 6:08 pm US/Eastern BOSTON (WBZ) ― Lt. Gov. Tim Murray (file image) Darren McCollester/Getty Images Moving around the state as the governor's liaison to its 351 cities and towns, Lt. Governor Tim Murray did not think his job fit the description given by Independent candidate for governor Tim Cahill after his running mate Paul Loscocco defected to support Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker last week. "As for not having a lieutenant governor, I don't plan to die and we can save money on that useless job," quipped Cahill. Murray, however, pointed out the office is provided for in the state constitution and more states are adding lieutenant governors than doing away with the position. "I'm in the car every day. You know, yesterday Worcester, Springfield, Pittsfield, Falmouth," remarked Murray who visited Haverhill, Chelmsford and Methuen today. The lieutenant governor, who makes about $125,000 a year, chairs the Governor's Council, which gives advice and consent on judicial nominations, pardons and commutations. Murray chairs eight other councils on issues such as veterans services and homelessness and works on transportation issues. "Some governors have lieutenant governors who've been in charge of federal/state relations. Other lieutenant governors, like myself, I'm working on cities and towns," said Murray. Some voters on the street say they see it as a behind-the-scenes job. "So maybe his job gets to be entirely defined by the governor," said one. Recent Lieutenant Governor Paul Cellucci became acting governor when Gov. William Weld stepped down and was subsequently elected governor. Lt. Gov. Jane Swift became acting governor when Cellucci was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Other lieutenant governors who have found the office useful as a stepping stone include Samuel Adams, Calvin Coolidge, Elliot Richardson, Frank Sargent, Thomas P. O'Neill III, and John Kerry. While Lt. Gov. Murray was in eastern Massachusetts today, his opponent on the Republican ticket, Richard Tisei, was campaigning in the western part of the state. "I think Richard will be a terrific partner...I think if you have an agenda like I have an agenda, it's not a useless position. I think if you don't have an agenda, maybe it's a useless position; but I put a lot of reform proposals on the table and I need all the help I can get," said Baker as he campaigned in Wakefield. One voter said, "If I were running with a guy who thought the job was useless, I guess it would be." That voter agreed that job is what the governor makes it. On next month's general election ballot, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run together as a ticket. While the lieutenant governor serves in place of the governor when he is out of state or in case of incapacitation, the secretary of state is next in line of succession. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

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