LITTLE ROCK –Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin today issued the following statement after testifying in the Arkansas House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs in support of House Joint Resolution 1024 (HJR 1024):
“When the governor and lieutenant governor work as a team, Arkansans benefit. While they are in office, the governor can rely on the lieutenant governor as a trusted advisor and to oversee projects and execute tasks. Arkansans also benefit in the unlikely event that the lieutenant governor must step into the role as permanent governor, as has happened twice in the last two decades: A lieutenant governor will be better prepared to take over as governor because of the knowledge gained working with the governor.
“I appreciate the good working relationship I have with Governor Hutchinson. He includes me in senior staff meetings and has appointed me Chair of his Council on Common Core Review. In many ways, our relationship is unique and historic. It allows me to work even more effectively as your lieutenant governor. I believe Rep. Mayberry’s proposal promotes similar relationships in future administrations because the governor would choose his lieutenant governor and the two would run as a team.”
Rep. Julie Mayberry’s (R-Hensley) proposal, HJR 1024, was filed in the Arkansas House of Representatives on February 11, 2015. If enacted, the amendment to the Arkansas Constitution will require the lieutenant governor candidate to run jointly with the gubernatorial candidate. It will also amend the duties of the lieutenant governor by allowing the governor to retain his or her powers and duties when absent from the state.
“In this day and age with technology and the ability to stay connected, it’s the common sense thing to do. Just like the president of the United States retains his power when absent from the country, the governor should retain his power when absent from the state.”
