Constitution of the State of Utah

ARTICLE VII

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Section 1. [Executive department. Terms, residence, and duties of officers.] The Executive Department shall consist of Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and Superintendent of Public Instruction, each of whom shall hold his office for four years beginning on the first Monday of January next after his election, except that the terms of office of those elected at the first election shall begin when the State shall be admitted into the Union, and shall end on the first Monday in January, A.D. 1901. The officers of the Executive Department, during their terms of office, shall reside at the seat of government, where they shall keep the public records, books and papers. They shall perform such duties as are prescribed by this Constitution and as may be provided by law.

Sec. 2. [Election. Tie: legislature to elect.] The officers provided for in section one of this article, shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State at the time and place of voting for members of the Legislature, and the persons respectively having the highest number of votes cast for the office voted for shall be elected; but if two or more shall have an equal and the highest number of votes for any one of said offices, the two houses of the Legislature, at its next regular session, shall elect forthwith by joint ballot one of such persons for said office.

Sec. 3. [Qualifications of governor, etc.] No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor or Secretary of State unless he shall have attained the age of thirty years at the time of his election, nor to the office of Attorney-General unless he shall have attained the age of twenty-five years at the time of his election, and have been admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the Territory or of the State of Utah, nor unless he shall be in good standing at the bar at the time of his election. No person shall be eligible to any of the offices provided for in section one of this article, unless at the time of his election he shall be a qualified elector, and shall have been a resident citizen of the State or Territory for five years next preceding his election. The State Auditor and State Treasurer shall be ineligible to election as their own successors.

Sec. 4. [Governor commander-in-chief.] The Governor shall be Commander-in-Chief of the military forces of the State, except when they shall be called into the service of the United States. He shall have power to call out the militia to execute the laws, to suppress insurrection, or to repel invasion.

Sec. 5. [Duties of governor.] The Governor shall see that the laws are faithfully executed; he shall transact all executive business with the officers of the government, civil and military, and may require information in writing from the officers of the Executive Department, and from the officers and managers of State Institutions upon any subject relating to the condition, management, and expenses of their respective offices and institutions, and at any time when the Legislative Assembly is not in session, may, if he deem it necessary, appoint a committee to investigate and report to him upon the condition of any executive office or State Institution. He shall communicate by message the condition of the State to the Legislature at every regular session, and recommend such measures as he may deem expedient.

Sec. 6. [Id. May convene extra session.] On extraordinary occasions, the Governor may convene the Legislature by proclamation, in which shall be stated the purpose for which the Legislature is to be convened, and it shall transact no legislative business except that for which it was especially convened, or such other legislative business as the Governor may call to its attention while in session. The Legislature, however, may provide for the expenses of the session and other matters incidental thereto. The Governor may also by proclamation convene the Senate in extraordinary session for the transaction of executive business.

Sec. 7. [Id. May adjourn legislature, when.] In case of a disagreement between the two houses of the Legislature at any special session, with respect to the time of adjournment, the Governor shall have power to adjourn the Legislature to such time as he may think proper: Provided, it be not beyond the time fixed for the convening of the next Legislature.

Sec. 8. [Bills presented to governor. Veto. Appropriation bills.] Every bill passed by the Legislature, before it becomes a law, shall be presented to the Governor; if he approve, he shall sign it, and thereupon it shall become a law; but if he do not approve, he shall return it with his objections to the house in which it originated, which house shall enter the objections at large upon its journal and proceed to reconsider the bill. If, after such reconsideration, it again passes both houses by a yea and nay vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the Governor's objections. If any bill be not returned within five days after it shall have been presented to him, (Sunday, and the day on which he received it excepted,) the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Legislature by its final adjournment prevent such return, in which case it shall be filed with his objections in the office of the Secretary of State within ten days after such adjournment (Sundays excepted) or become a law. If any bill presented to the Governor contain several items of appropriations of money, he may object to one or more such items, while approving other portions of the bill; in such case he shall append to the bill at the time of signing it, a statement of the item or items which he declines to approve, together with his reasons therefor, and such item or items shall not take effect unless passed over the Governor's objection as in this section provided.

Sec. 9. [Governor may fill certain vacancies.] When any State or district office shall become vacant, and no mode is provided by the Constitution and laws for filling such vacancy, the Governor shall have the power to fill the same by granting a commission, which shall expire at the next election, and upon qualification of the person elected to such office.

Sec. 10. [Governor's appointive power. Vacancies.] The Governor shall nominate, and by and with the consent of the Senate, appoint all State and district officers whose offices are established by this Constitution, or which may be created by law, and whose appointment or election is not otherwise provided for. If, during the recess of the Senate, a vacancy occur in any State or district office, the Governor shall appoint some fit person to discharge the duties thereof until the next meeting of the Senate, when he shall nominate some person to fill such office. If the office of justice of the supreme or district court, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney-General or Superintendent of Public Instruction be vacated by death, resignation or otherwise, it shall be the duty of the Governor to fill the same by appointment, and the appointee shall hold his office until his successor shall be elected and qualified, as may be by law provided.

Sec. 11. [Vacancy in office of governor.] In case of the death of the Governor, or his impeachment, removal from office, inability to discharge the duties of his office, resignation, or absence from the State, the powers and duties of said office shall devolve upon the Secretary of State, until the disability shall cease, or until the next general election, when the vacancy shall be filled by election. If, during a vacancy in the office of Governor, the Secretary of State resign, die or become incapable of performing the duties of the office, or be displaced, or be absent from the State, the President pro tempore of the senate shall act as Governor until the vacancy be filled or the disability cease. While performing the duties of the Governor as in this section provided, the Secretary of State, or the President pro tempore of the senate, as the case may be, except in cases of temporary disability, or absence from the State, shall be entitled to the salary and emoluments of the Governor.

Sec. 12. [Board of pardons. Respites and reprieves.] Until otherwise provided by law, the Governor, Justices of the Supreme Court and Attorney-General shall constitute a Board of Pardons, a majority of whom, including the Governor, upon such conditions, and with such limitations and restrictions as they deem proper, may remit fines and forfeitures, commute punishments, and grant pardons after convictions, in all cases except treason and impeachments, subject to such regulations as may be provided by law, relative to the manner of applying for pardons; but no fine or forfeiture shall be remitted, and no commutation or pardon granted, except after a full hearing before the Board, in open session, after previous notice of the time and place of such hearing has been given. The proceedings and decisions of the Board, with the reasons therefor in each case, together with the dissent of any member who may disagree, shall be reduced to writing, and filed, with all papers used upon the hearing, in the office of the Secretary of State. The Governor shall have power to grant respites or reprieves in all cases of convictions for offenses against the State, except treason or conviction on impeachment; but such respites or reprieves shall not extend beyond the next session of the Board of Pardons; and such Board, at such session, shall continue or determine such respite or reprieve, or they may commute the punishment, or pardon the offense as herein provided. In case of conviction for treason, the Governor shall have the power to suspend execution of the sentence, until the case shall be reported to the Legislature at its next regular session, when the Legislature shall either pardon, or commute the sentence, or direct its execution; he shall communicate to the Legislature at each regular session, each case of remission of fine or forfeiture, reprieve, commutation or pardon granted since the last previous report, stating the name of the convict, the crime for which he was convicted, the sentence and its date, the date of remission, commutation, pardon or reprieve, with the reasons for granting the same, and the objections, if any, of any member of the Board made thereto.

Sec. 13. [State prison commissioners. Board of examiners.] Until otherwise provided by law, the Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney-General shall constitute a Board of State Prison Commissioners, which Board shall have such supervision of all matters connected with the State Prison as may be provided by law. They shall, also, constitute a Board of Examiners, with power to examine all claims against the State except salaries or compensation of officers fixed by law, and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law; and no claim against the State, except for salaries and compensation of officers fixed by law, shall be passed upon by the Legislature without having been considered and acted upon by the said Board of Examiners.

Sec. 14. [Insane asylum commissioners.] Until otherwise provided by law, the Governor, State Treasurer and State Auditor shall constitute a Board of Insane Asylum Commissioners. Said Board shall have such supervision of all matters connected with the State Insane Asylum as may be provided by law.

Sec. 15. [Reform school commissioners.] Until otherwise provided by law, the Governor, Attorney-General and Superintendent of Public Instruction shall constitute a Board of Reform School Commissioners. Said Board shall have such supervision of all matters connected with the State Reform School as may be provided by law.

Sec. 16. [Duties of secretary of state.] The Secretary of State shall keep a record of the official acts of the Legislature and Executive Department of the State, and, when required, shall lay the same and all matters relative thereto before either branch of the Legislature, and shall perform such other duties as may be provided by law.

Sec. 17. [Duties of auditor and treasurer.] The Auditor shall be Auditor of Public Accounts, and the Treasurer shall be the custodian of public moneys, and each shall perform such other duties as may be provided by law.

Sec. 18. [Duties of attorney general.] The Attorney-General shall be the legal adviser of the State Officers, and shall perform such other duties as may be provided by law.

Sec. 19. [Superintendent of public instruction.] The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall perform such duties as may be provided by law.

Sec. 20. [Compensation of state officers.] The Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney-General, Superintendent of Public Instruction and such other State and district officers as may be provided for by law, shall receive for their services quarterly, a compensation as fixed by law, which shall not be diminished or increased so as to affect the salary of any officer during his term, or the term next ensuing after the adoption of this Constitution, unless a vacancy occur, in which case the successor of the former incumbent shall receive only such salary as may be provided by law at the time of his election or appointment. The compensation of the officers provided for by this article, until otherwise provided by law, is fixed as follows:

Governor, Two Thousand Dollars per annum.

Secretary of State, Two Thousand Dollars per annum.

State Auditor, Fifteen Hundred Dollars per annum.

State Treasurer, One Thousand Dollars per annum.

Attorney-General, Fifteen Hundred Dollars per annum.

Superintendent of Public Instruction, Fifteen Hundred Dollars per annum.

The compensation for said officers as prescribed in this section, and in all laws enacted pursuant to this Constitution, shall be in full for all services rendered by said officers, respectively, in any official capacity or employment during their respective terms of office. No such officer shall receive for the performance of any official duty any fee for his own use, but all fees fixed by law for the performance by either of them of any official duty, shall be collected in advance and deposited with the State Treasurer quarterly to the credit of the State. The Legislature may provide for the payment of actual and necessary expenses of said officers while traveling in the State in the performance of official duty.

Sec. 21. [Grants and commissions.] All grants and commissions shall be in the name and by the authority of the State of Utah, sealed with the Great Seal of the State, signed by the Governor, and countersigned by the Secretary of State.

Sec. 22. [The great seal.] There shall be a seal of the State, which shall be kept by the Secretary of State, and used by him officially. Said seal shall be called "The Great Seal of the State of Utah." The present seal of the Territory of Utah shall be the seal of the State until otherwise provided by law.

Sec. 23. [U.S. officials ineligible. Governor not eligible for senate.] No person, while holding any office under the United States' government, shall hold any office under the State government of Utah, and the Governor shall not be eligible for election to the Senate of the United States during the term for which he shall have been elected Governor.