AG Bondi Next In Succession To Scott Until Carroll Replaced
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) – Large companies have succession plans, and so does the government: if the president is unable to serve, the vice president takes over.
What happens, though, if Gov. Scott were unable to fulfill his duties? Until this week, the lieutenant governor would have assumed the post.
Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigned this week amid her alleged involvement in an illegal gambling scandal.
While the state awaits her replacement, state law says Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi will fill the state's top post if Gov. Rick Scott were unable to serve.
However, state law doesn't leave Scott the option of permanently leaving the office of lieutenant governor open, even though the job has no officially prescribed duties, the News Service of Florida reports.
The law simply says that the if lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant, the governor "shall" appoint a successor for the remainder of the term.
Scott said in a statement Wednesday that "we will not turn our attention to this topic (a new lieutenant governor) until after the conclusion of the legislative session," which is in early May.
State law says that if there's a vacancy in the office of governor and lieutenant governor, the attorney general shall become governor.
If the attorney general's office were to be vacant, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater would be next in line, followed by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. If somehow all of those offices were vacant, the Legislature would choose a new governor.
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