Lieutenant Governor of Georgia

The lieutenant governor's formal duties are limited by the Georgia State Constitution to being President of the Senate and the successor of the Governor whenever the governor dies, resigns or is removed from office via impeachment. The lieutenant governor assumes the gubernatorial powers & duties as acting governor, whenever the governor is disabled[3] Other, informal duties, were initiated by Lieutenant Governor Marvin Griffin during his tenure and include naming chairmen to senate committees and "taking an active role in the leadership of the senate."[3] He also began the custom of asking the governor's approval of these appointments. These powers lasted until 2003, when Governor Sonny Perdue, a Republican, stripped the lieutenant governor at the time, Democrat Mark Taylor of those powers, giving them to the president pro tempore of the Senate.[3] In November 2010, the Republican majority voted to change the senate rules, stripping the Lieutenant Governor's ability to appoint the membership of senate committees.[4]

As President of the Senate the lieutenant governor presides over debate in the Senate and casts a tie-breaking vote in that body if necessary. However, the lieutenant governor is barred from sponsoring legislation.[5] The Rules of the Georgia State Senate assign the president of the Senate to appoint two senators to the Committee on Assignments and to serve as the Chair of the committee, but the Chair may only vote in case of a tie. Additionally, the president is a member of and appoints three other members to the Committee on Administrative Affairs. Under the supervision of the State Senate, the President "shall as a matter of course and without debate, report the reference of bills to the proper committee." Senate pages are supervised by the president who "shall establish a program of familiarization with state government, its procedures and those duties and responsibilities which will be required of pages."[6]