What’s a president pro tempore — and what’s so temporary about the job? What’s the third member? And is there really a Committee on Committees?
There are a number of key roles in the Vermont Legislature — and some of them are confusing. To understand who’s doing what inside the Statehouse, it’s essential to understand these positions and the powers they hold. Here’s an overview:
The Vermont House
Speaker of the House — The most powerful individual in the Statehouse, at least on paper, is the speaker of the House.
Elected by a vote of all 150 members at the start of the legislative biennium (in January of odd-numbered years), the speaker is typically — though not always — a member of the majority party. Her duties include presiding over the chamber when the House is in session, deciding parliamentary questions and appointing House members to committees.
In practice, it’s this last responsibility that provides the speaker her power. Unlike in the Senate (see below), the speaker can unilaterally select committee chairs and members. Because committees are where legislators do much of their business, the speaker determines which legislators are crafting which bills — and that’s a significant responsibility.
These days, the House is typically run by the speaker and her leadership team, which often includes her hand-picked committee chairs, the majority leader and the majority whip. They can control which bills make it to the House floor when — thereby dictating the flow of legislation.
Though the speaker has many powers, she generally does not take part in debate nor does she vote on the House floor — unless there’s a tie or her vote against a bill would make it a tie.
Majority and minority leaders — Each political party in the House selects one member to serve as its leader. This person works with members of their party to determine its priorities and, at times, enforce its positions.
The leader of the party controlling the most seats in the House is called the majority leader. The leader of the party with the next most seats is called the minority leader. Other parties may elect a caucus leader. (In recent years, the majority leader has typically been a Democrat and the minority leader a Republican, while members of the Progressive Party have chosen a caucus leader.)
The parties also generally elect an assistant leader — sometimes known as the “whip” — to help count votes before a bill reaches the floor and enforce priorities.
Committee chairs — The speaker appoints each member of the House to one of 14 standing committees (e.g. the House Committee on Health Care or the House Committee on Transportation). She also appoints a chair, vice chair and clerk of each panel.
The chair, in consultation with colleagues, determines which bills in its jurisdiction are taken up and which are left “on the wall” to wither and die. (And, yes, there is a literal wall, usually a cork board, in each committee room, with a list of all bills assigned to that committee for review during the biennium.) The chair sets the committee’s agenda, selecting witnesses to testify and deciding when a bill should come up for a vote.
Clerk of the House — Also elected by all members of the House at the start of the biennium, the clerk serves as the chamber’s chief administrative officer and parliamentarian. She is not a member of the House and acts as a professional staffer to the body.
The clerk prepares the House calendar and journal, tracks the progress of bills and assists with votes on the floor. Importantly, the clerk is the keeper of the rules and advises the speaker on parliamentary questions — ensuring that the House follows all of its procedures. This is a nonpartisan position that serves all members of the House.
The Vermont Senate
Lieutenant governor — Unlike the House, the Senate does not choose its presiding officer. The people do.
Selected by voters every two years (in November of even-numbered years), the lieutenant governor has few constitutional powers. She takes over if the governor dies in office, resigns or is removed — and serves temporarily in that position if the governor is out-of-state or otherwise absent.
The lieutenant governor also serves as president of the Senate. In that role, she presides when the Senate is in session, decides parliamentary questions, votes if there’s a tie and helps assign committees (more on that below). Lieutenant governors do not, however, take part in debate or play a formal role in policymaking.
President pro tempore — Though the lieutenant governor technically runs the Senate, the president pro tempore (often referred to as the “pro tem”) does so in practice.
Elected by all 30 members of the Senate at the start of the biennium (in January of odd-numbered years), the pro tem takes over as president of the body if the lieutenant governor is absent or covering for the governor. The pro tem has the power to determine which bills are taken up when — unless a majority objects — and therefore generally controls the flow of legislation on the Senate floor.
Similar to the House speaker, the pro tem works with the majority leader, whip and committee chairs to set priorities for the Senate. But there is a big difference: Unlike the speaker, the pro tem cannot unilaterally select committee chairs and members. As a result, power in the Senate is generally distributed more evenly — and committee chairs can sometimes buck the pro tem without fear of removal.
Also unlike the speaker or lieutenant governor, the pro tem takes part in debate and votes on the floor, like any other member — unless she is serving at the time as president.
Third member — So who does appoint committee chairs and members in the Senate? That job belongs to the three-member Committee on Committees, which includes the lieutenant governor, the pro tem and the so-called third member. That last person is selected by a vote of all 30 senators at the start of the biennium and has unusual influence in the body.
The Committee on Committees meets in secret soon after the third member is appointed to determine committee assignments. It can also remove senators from committees or leadership positions.
Majority and minority leaders — As in the House, the parties select leaders from among their ranks. But in practice, the Senate’s majority and minority leaders tend to have less power and influence than their counterparts in the other body. Fewer votes in the Senate tend to split along party lines. And because committee assignments aren’t doled out by a single person, party leaders in the Senate have fewer points of leverage with their members.
Committee chairs — The Senate has 12 standing committees. They are smaller than House committees (with five to seven members apiece, as opposed to the House’s 11 to 12 members), and each senator serves on two of them: one committee that meets in the morning and one in the afternoon.
As in the House, chairs determine which bills are taken up by a committee, who testifies and when votes take place. But as noted above, Senate committee chairs tend to wield more power than their House counterparts. And those who run the most significant ones — including the Senate Appropriations Committee, which controls spending, and the Senate Finance Committee, which controls taxing — can be as influential in the body as the pro tem.
Secretary of the Senate — Elected by the Senate at the start of the biennium, the secretary serves as the chamber’s chief administrative officer and parliamentarian.
Like the House clerk, the secretary prepares the Senate calendar and journal, tracks the progress of bills and assists with votes on the Senate floor. The secretary is the keeper of the rules and advises the president of the Senate — typically the lieutenant governor or pro tem — on parliamentary questions. This is a nonpartisan position, not an elected senator, that serves all members of the Senate.
Other Statehouse offices
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Vermont Legislature has fewer professional staff members than most of its counterparts. Other than the speaker and pro tem, Vermont legislators do not have individual staffers. But there are dozens of nonpartisan professionals in the Statehouse who serve all members and keep the place running. Here’s a brief overview of some of their roles:
Joint Fiscal Office — Run by the chief fiscal officer, JFO provides financial analyses to several key committees and serves as a resource to the Legislature for budget-related matters.
Office of Legislative Counsel — Legislators may decide what bills to introduce and pass, but the attorneys who work for Legislative Counsel actually draft them. This office provides legal support for legislators and committees — advising them on how best to craft legislation that will accomplish their goals and pass constitutional muster.
Office of Legislative Operations — Though legislators do not have dedicated staff members, committees do. Each standing committee has a dedicated committee assistant who provides administrative and scheduling support to the chair and members.
Office of Legislative Information Technology — Most organizations have an IT department, and the Legislature is no exception. This office became all the more important as the Covid-19 pandemic prompted committees to begin broadcasting their meetings online, a practice that continues.
Office of the Sergeant at Arms — Elected by the House and Senate, the sergeant-at-arms generally oversees the Statehouse. She runs ceremonial events, such as the inauguration, assigns rooms, operates the Legislative Page program and oversees the Capitol Police Department.
Capitol Police Department — This tiny department provides security to the Statehouse and those who work there and visit it.
