Powers and Duties
The Tennessee Constitution provides that “The supreme executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor.”
The governor is designated to be the commander-in-chief of the state's army and navy and the state militia, except when they have been called up into federal service.
The Tennessee governor can veto laws passed by the Tennessee General Assembly and has line-item veto authority for individual spending items included in bills passed by the legislature. In either situation, the governor's veto can be overridden by a simple majority of both houses of the legislature. If a governor exercises the veto authority after the legislature has adjourned, the veto stands. It is uncommon for Tennessee governors to use their veto power, probably because it is so easy for the General Assembly to override a veto.
The state constitution empowers the governor to call the General Assembly into special session, with the subjects to be considered limited to matters specified in the call.
Read more about this topic: Governor Of Tennessee
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