Governor of Tennessee
| Governor of Tennessee | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Style | The Honorable |
| Residence | Tennessee Governor's Mansion |
| Term length | Four years, limited to two consecutive terms |
| Inaugural holder |
John Sevier 1796 |
| Salary | $178,356 (2013) |
| Website | www |
The Governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state.
The current governor is Bill Haslam, a Republican. Haslam won election in November 2010 and took office on January 15, 2011.
The Tennessee Constitution provides that the governor must be at least 30 years old and must have lived in the state for at least seven years before being elected to the office. The governor is elected to a four-year term and may serve no more than two terms consecutively.
The governor is the only official of the Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. There are only two other U.S. states, New Jersey and Hawaii, where the governor is the only state official to be elected statewide.
The Tennessee Constitution provides that “The supreme executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor.” Most state department heads and some members of boards and commissions are appointed by the governor.
The governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's army and navy and the state militia, except when they have been called up into federal service. The governor chairs the Tennessee Board of Regents and the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees and holds seats on the State Funding Board, State Building Commission, Board of Equalization, Tennessee Local Development Authority, School Bond Authority, and Tennessee Industrial and Agricultural Development Commission.
The Tennessee governor can veto laws passed by the Tennessee General Assembly and has line-item veto authority for individual spending items included in bills passed by the legislature. In either situation, the governor's veto can be overridden by a simple majority of both houses of the legislature. If a governor exercises the veto authority after the legislature has adjourned, the veto stands. It is uncommon for Tennessee governors to use their veto power, probably because it is so easy for the General Assembly to override a veto.
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