What happens when the governor is unable to fulfill his duties? Constitutional Amendment 2 will ask voters to clarify line of succession.

Update: Amendment 2 was passed by Tennessee voters, so the language of the state’s constitution will be updated accordingly. Find all of WPLN’s live Election Day coverage here.

Tennessee is one of the two states where the Senate speaker is also the lieutenant governor.

The position is mostly ceremonial except if the governor dies or is removed from office. In that case, the lieutenant governor could resign from the Senate and take over. A constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall would apply that same process for temporary matters.    

Currently, there is no temporary line of succession in Tennessee’s constitution. This year, voters can clarify the line of succession on Amendment 2. A yes vote would allow the lieutenant governor to take over if the governor was unable to perform his or her duties. Then once the governor is able to return, the lieutenant governor would go back to the Senate. 

While it’s likely rare that it would get used, the sponsor of the amendment, Knoxville Republican Sen. Becky Massey, says it’s still needed. 

“I’ve only found a couple of times in history that it’s happened in other states,” Massey said. “There could be a crisis if it did happen, and we hope it never does.”

But last October in Idaho, things went off the rails when the governor and lieutenant governor weren’t on the same page. Gov. Brad Little left the state to visit the U.S.-Mexico border. Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin took over and wasted no time flexing her authority.  

Today, as Acting Governor, I fixed Gov. Little's Executive Order on "vaccine passports" to make sure that K-12 schools and universities cannot require vaccinations OR require mandatory testing. I will continue to fight for your individual Liberty! #idpol pic.twitter.com/Jz87jfZaWc

— Janice McGeachin (@JaniceMcGeachin) October 5, 2021

Shortly after, Idaho’s governor responded, saying he’d rescind the order. 

That story gives a glimpse at how things could go if the governor and lieutenant governor aren’t seeing eye to eye. But Massey says she isn’t worried about a situation like that happening in Tennessee. 

“Ours says you have to temporarily ill or incapacitated, and being out of state doesn’t meet that criteria.”

Tennesseans can weigh in on Amendment 2 during early voting or wait until Election Day on Nov. 8.