President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate

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The president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate presides over the Senate of the U.S. state of Vermont in the absence of the lieutenant governor. [1] The president pro tempore also sets the policy priorities and legislative agenda for the Senate. [2] [3]

Contents

Duties

In addition to presiding in the absence of the lieutenant governor, the president pro tempore is third in the gubernatorial line of succession, following the lieutenant governor and speaker of the House of Representatives. [4] [5] [6]

The Senate president pro tempore also serves as a member of the Senate's Committee on Committees. [1] The Committee on Committees, made up of the lieutenant governor, president of the Senate, and a state senator chosen by his or her peers, is responsible for making committee assignments and designating committee chairpersons, vice chairpersons and clerks. [1]

The Senate president is Senator Philip Baruth of Chittenden County, who took office on January 4, 2023. [7]

History

U.S. Senator Peter Welch served as Senate President from 1985 to 1989 and 2003 to 2007, and was the first Democrat to hold the post. [8] Peter Shumlin, Governor from 2011 to 2017, was President pro tempore from 1997 to 2003 and 2007 to 2011. [8] Becca Balint, Vermont's at-large member of the U.S. House since 2023, served as Senate President from 2021 to 2023. [9]

In the early days of the Vermont Senate, when the legislature met for a relatively short time each year, the lieutenant governor was usually present to preside over regular Senate sessions, and temporary presidents would be chosen on an as-needed basis for periods as short as one day, or even just the morning or afternoon session of one day. [10] By the 1870s, the position had evolved to the point where a permanent president pro tempore was chosen immediately after the convening of each new legislature. [11]

From the founding of the Republican Party in the 1850s until the 1960s, only Republicans won statewide offices, and Republicans also controlled both the Vermont Senate and Vermont House of Representatives. [12] As part of the party's Mountain Rule, the post of Senate President, along with that of House Speaker, were used to groom future governors and lieutenant governors. [13] Including Shumlin, nine governors have served as Senate President (Eaton, Coolidge, Hendee, Redfield Proctor, McCullough, Prouty, Wills, Mortimer Proctor, Emerson, and Shumlin), as have six lieutenant governors who did not attain the governorship (Dale, Hinckley, Bates, Farnsworth, Babcock and Racine). [8]

Compensation

The president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate earned $10,080 in annual compensation as of 2005. [14] Starting in 2007, the salary receives an annual cost of living adjustment. [14]

List

No.President pro temporeTermParty
1 Horace Eaton 1841 Whig [8]
2 Ebenezer N. Briggs 1843Whig [8]
3 James Barrett 1845Whig [8]
4 George T. Hodges 1846–1847Whig [8]
5 John Kimball 1848Whig [8]
6 Oliver P. Chandler 1849Whig [8]
7 William Weston 1850Whig [15]
8 Asa Wentworth Jr. 1851Whig [8]
9 Edward Seymour 1852Whig [8]
10 Orlando Stevens 1853Whig [16]
11 Carlos Coolidge 1853–1854Whig [17]
12 James M. Hotchkiss 1856 Republican [18]
13 Augustus P. Hunton 1857Republican [19]
14 Lucius E. Chittenden 1857–1858Republican [20]
15 Bliss N. Davis 1859Republican [8]
16 George Wilkins 1860Republican [8]
17 Frederick E. Woodbridge 1861Republican [8]
18 Thomas E. Powers 1861Republican [8]
19 George F. Edmunds 1861–1862Republican [21]
20 Henry E. Stoughton 1863Republican [8]
21 Leverett B. Englesby 1864Republican [8]
22 Worthington C. Smith 1865Republican [8]
23 Seneca M. Dorr 1865–1866Republican [8]
24 George W. Hendee 1867–1868Republican [8]
25 George N. Dale 1869Republican [8]
26 Charles H. Heath 1870Republican [8]
27 Lyman G. Hinckley 1872Republican [8]
28 Redfield Proctor 1874Republican [8]
29 William W. Grout 1876Republican [8]
30 Loveland Munson 1878Republican [8]
31 Philip K. Gleed 1880Republican [8]
32 Justus Dartt 1882Republican [8]
33 Laforrest H. Thompson 1884Republican [8]
34 Henry C. Bates 1886–1888Republican [8]
35 Frank A. Dwinell 1890Republican [8]
36 Alfred A. Hall 1892Republican [8]
37 Frank Plumley 1894Republican [22]
38 Ashbel A. Dean 1896Republican [8]
39 John G. McCullough 1898Republican [8]
40 Frederick W. Baldwin 1900Republican [8]
41 Chauncey W. Brownell 1902Republican [8]
42 George H. Prouty 1904Republican [8]
43 William J. Van Patten 1906Republican [8]
44 Ernest W. Gibson Sr. 1908Republican [23]
45 Max L. Powell 1910Republican [8]
46 Frederick H. Babbitt 1912Republican [8]
47 Max L. Powell 1915Republican [8]
48 William R. Fairchild 1917Republican [8]
49 Martin S. Vilas 1919Republican [8]
50 Harvey R. Kingsley 1921Republican [8]
51 Walter K. Farnsworth 1923Republican [8]
52 Edward H. Edgerton 1925Republican [8]
53 Levi P. Smith 1927–1929Republican [8]
54 William H. Wills 1931Republican [8]
55 Charles B. Adams 1933Republican [8]
56 William H. Wills 1935Republican [8]
57 Ernest W. Dunklee 1937Republican [8]
58 Mortimer R. Proctor 1939Republican [8]
59 Joseph H. Denny 1941Republican [8]
60 Lee E. Emerson 1943Republican [8]
61 John A. M. Hinsman 1945Republican [8]
62 Carroll L. Coburn 1947Republican [8]
63 Asa S. Bloomer 1949Republican [8]
64 Merrill W. Harris 1951Republican [8]
65 Carleton G. Howe 1953Republican [8]
66 Asa S. Bloomer 1955Republican [8]
67 Robert S. Babcock 1957Republican [8]
68 Asa S. Bloomer 1959–1963Republican [8]
69 John H. Boylan 1963–1965Republican [8]
70 George W. F. Cook 1965–1969Republican [8]
71 Edward G. Janeway 1969–1975Republican [8]
72 Robert A. Bloomer 1975–1985Republican [8]
73 Peter Welch 1985–1989 Democratic [8]
74 Douglas Racine 1989–1993Democratic [8]
75 John H. Bloomer 1993–1995Republican [8]
76 Stephen W. Webster 1995–1997Republican [8]
77 Peter Shumlin 1997–2003Democratic [8]
78 Peter Welch 2003–2007Democratic [8]
79 Peter Shumlin 2007–2011Democratic [8]
80 John F. Campbell 2011–2017Democratic [8]
81 Tim Ashe 2017–2021Democratic/Progressive [24]
82 Becca Balint 2021–2023Democratic [25]
83 Philip Baruth 2023–Democratic/Progressive [26]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 The Vermont Encyclopedia, pp. 17–18.
  2. ↑ Epp, Henry; Patterson, Brittany. "Priorities For A Pandemic Session: Incoming Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint". www.vpr.org. No. 5 January 2021.
  3. ↑ "Senate President Pro Tempore". State of Vermont. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "Constitution of the State of Vermont". Vermont General Assembly . Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  5. ↑ "3 V.S.A. § 1 — Vacancy, absence from State". Vermont General Assembly . Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  6. ↑ "20 V.S.A. § 183 — Additional successor to office of governor". Vermont General Assembly . Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ Bradley, Pat (January 3, 2023). "Vermont Legislature set to begin its session Wednesday with a Democratic supermajority". WAMC Radio. Albany, NY.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 "List of Presidents pro tempore of the Vermont Senate".
  9. ↑ Mearhoff, Sarah (November 8, 2022). "Becca Balint becomes 1st woman to represent Vermont in Congress". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.
  10. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1836), p. 10.
  11. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1873), p. 4.
  12. ↑ Political Encyclopedia of U.S. States and Regions, p. 133.
  13. ↑ American Legislative Leaders in the West, 1911-1994, p. 33.
  14. 1 2 "Salaries and Fees".
  15. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1851), p. 63.
  16. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1852), p. 70.
  17. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1853), p. 10.
  18. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1856), p. 16.
  19. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1857), p. 89.
  20. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1857), pp. 229–230.
  21. ↑ Pro Tem: Presidents Pro Tempore of the United States Senate Since 1789, p. 69.
  22. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1894), p. 4.
  23. ↑ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1908).
  24. ↑ "Walters: Newly Elected Senate President Ashe Comes Out Swinging".
  25. ↑ "Balint nominated".
  26. ↑ Duffort, Lola (November 13, 2022). "Democrats unanimously nominate Phil Baruth to serve as president of the Vermont Senate". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.

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