Governor of Kansas Information & Governor of Kansas Links at HealthHaven.com

Governor of; the State of Kansas;
	; Great Seal of the State of Kansas;
	Incumbent; Mark Parkinson; since April 28, 2009
Residence	Kansas Governor's Mansion
Formation	February 9, 1861
Website	Governor's Website

The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the Commander-in-Chief of the Kansas National Guard when not called into Federal use. Despite being an executive branch official, the Governor also possesses legislative and judicial powers. The Governor's responsibilities include making yearly "State of the State" addresses to the Kansas Legislature, submitting the budget, ensuring that state laws are enforced, and that the peace is preserved.

The office was created in 1861 when Kansas was officially admitted to the United States as the 34th state. Prior to statehood in 1861, the office was preceded by a Presidential appointed Governor of Kansas Territory with similar powers.

The 45th and current Governor of Kansas is Mark Parkinson.His term began on April 28, 2009 when Kathleen Sebelius resigned upon the US Senate vote confirming her as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The term will end January 10, 2011, and Parkinson has indicated he will not be a candidate for election in his own right.

There is no lifetime limit on the number of times he or she may be elected, but a governor who has been elected to two consecutive terms must be out of office for at least one election cycle before being eligible once again for re-election. Elections occur at the same time as the Congressional midterm elections, and each term begins on the second Monday of January following the election. The lieutenant governor is subject to the same limitations and runs on a combined ticket with the governor.

If the governor becomes incapacitated, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of the governor. However if both offices become vacant, the line of succession is determined by the legislature. Under present law, the President of the Senate would be next in line to assume the governorship, followed by the Speaker of the House.

[edit] Residence

Since 1962, the Governor of Kansas has resided in the Kansas Governor's Mansion.Before that, Kansas did not have an official governor's residence until 1901 when the state bought 801 Buchanan. It was designed by the architect firm Wight and Wight. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

[edit] External links