In today’s Civics 101 column, I’m sharing information about the role of the Governor of Pennsylvania and what they can or cannot do while in office. We have a new Governor being sworn-in in January. It’s not often that we have a Governor in office from one political party for (8) years, and then the next incoming Governor, is of that same political party. Usually, it doesn’t happen that way. But this time, we’re seeing democratic Governor Tom Wolfe on his way out and a new Democratic Governor, Josh Shapiro, coming in.
Below is some of what a Governor is expected to do:
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch, and the highest state office in Pennsylvania. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms. Pennsylvania has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of the Governor, while the Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature (currently). Things will change come January of 2023.
Pennsylvania has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of the Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General; that will remain the same in the new year. There will be new names, but Democrats will still control those offices-just mentioned.
A candidate for the Governor must be a citizen of the United States. They must be at least 30 years old. They must be a resident of Pennsylvania for at least seven years. Additionally, the Governor may not hold Congressional office, any other office under the Commonwealth, or any federal office. The exception is that the Governor may be a reserve member of the National Guard.
If the office of Governor becomes vacant through death, resignation, or conviction on impeachment, the Lieutenant Governor becomes Governor for the remainder of the term; if the office is only temporarily vacant due to the disability of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor only acts out the duties of Governor.
Should both offices be vacant, the president pro tempore of the Senate becomes Governor. The position of Lieutenant Governor, was created in the 1874 state constitution; prior to then, the Speaker of the Senate would act as Governor in cases of vacancy.
The Governor is the commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces. The Governor has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to approve or veto bills passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature subject to a two-thirds override, and to convene the legislature for extraordinary sessions.
The Governor may grant pardons, reprieves, and commutations except in cases of impeachment, but only when recommended by the Board of Pardons. The Board of Pardons consists of the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, and three gubernatorial appointees, each of whom must be confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the Senate and who serve a six-year term.
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Thank you for reading Thera Martin’s article on scoopnewsusa.com. For more on “What does the Governor’s job entail?”, please subscribe to SCOOP USA Media. Print subscriptions are $75 and online subscriptions (Print, Digital, and VIZION) are $90. (52 weeks / 1 year).
