Executive Branch
The EXECUTIVE BRANCH of government is led by the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. These two individuals are the only elected officials in the executive branch and are elected for four-year terms. This branch of government is in charge of implementing and administering the public policy that has been approved of by the legislative branch.
The governor has the power to appoint the heads of all major departments and the judges. The constitution provides for election districts, based on population and one of the duties of the governor is to reapportion the districts after each United States census.
The governor is charged with enforcing state laws but the officials who actually enforce the laws are not directly responsible to the governor and may even be members of an opposing political party. Other state administrative officials include a lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, attorney general, auditor, board of higher education, and others. In some states the chief legal officer is appointed. All appointments must be confirmed by the Legislature except the Commissioner of Education.
The Governor may reorganize (nice word for firing people) the executive branch by Executive Order. But the Legislature has the power to stop this action by getting a majority vote in both the Senate and House of Representatives during a joint session.
The Lieutenant Governor is a very important person in the state government and is second in command only to the Governor himself/herself. The Lieutenant Governor's duties include the administration of the state election laws, appointment of notaries pulbic, custody of the state seal, convening the Legislature, custody of original copies of all state laws, and administration of the Administrative Procedures Act. The Lieutenant Governor serves as the acting governor when the Governor is absent for a short time and if the Governor dies, resigns or is disqualified, the Lieutenant Governor becomes Governor.
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Photo by: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
ALL Text by: Handbook on Alaska State Government
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