Policy Analysis | April 2008
What are the methods of selection for leadership positions in the state Legislatures of the Southern Legislative Conference?
House
| State | Speaker | Speaker pro tem | Majority leader | Assistant majority leader | Majority floor leader | Assistant majority floor leader | Majority whip | Majority caucus chair | Minority leader | Assistant minority leader | Minority floor leader | Assistant minority floor leader | Minority whip | Minority caucus chair |
| Alabama | EH | EH | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Arkansas | EH | AS | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | ... | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | ... |
| Florida | EH | EH | AS | AS | AS | AS | AS | AS | EC | EC | AL | AL | AL | AL |
| Georgia | EH | EH | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | EC | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | EC |
| Kentucky (f) | EH | EH | ... | ... | EC | ... | EC | EC | ... | ... | EC | ... | EC | EC |
| Louisiana | EH | EH | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Maryland | EH | EH (i) | AS (j) | AS (j) | (j) | AS | AS | (k) | ES (l) | ... | ... | ... | ES (l) | (k) |
| Mississippi | EH | EH | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Missouri | EH | EH | ... | ... | EC | EC | EC | EC | ... | ... | EC | EC | EC | EC |
| North Carolina | EH | EH | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | EC | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | EC |
| Oklahoma | EH | EH | AS | AS | AS | AS | AS | AS | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC |
| South Carolina | EH | EH | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Tennessee | EH | EH | EC | EC | EC | ... | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC |
| Texas | EH | AS | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Virginia (t) | EH | ... | EC (m) | ... | (u) | ... | EC | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | AL | EC |
| West Virginia | EH | AS | AS | AS | ... | ... | AS | AS | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Key |
| AL - Appointed by party leader. |
| AS - Appointed by the speaker. |
| EC - Elected by party caucus. |
| EH - Elected or Confirmed by all members of the House. |
| ... - Position does not exist or is not selected on a regular basis. |
| (f) In each chamber, the membership elects Chief Clerk; Assistant Clerk; Enrolling Clerk; Sergeant at Arms; Doorkeeper; Janitor; Cloakroom Keeper; and Pages. |
| (i) There is also a deputy speaker pro tem. |
| (j) Majority leader also serves as majority floor leader. Official title of assistant majority leader is deputy majority leader. There are also an assistant majority whip; chief deputy majority whips, and deputy majority whips. |
| (k) Speaker and minority leader are also caucus chairs. |
| (l) Minority leader also serves as the minority floor leader. There are also an assistant minority leader, a chief deputy minority whip, an assistant minority whip, and several deputy minority whips. |
| (m) Majority leader also serves as majority floor leader; minority leader also serves as minority floor leader. |
| (t) The majority caucus also has a secretary, who is appointed by the speaker; the minority caucus has two vice-chairs, one vice-chair/treasurer, and an interim sergeant at arms. |
| (u) Selected by the minority leader with the approval of the Speaker. |
Senate
| State | President | President pro tem | Majority leader | Assistant majority leader | Majority floor leader | Assistant majority floor leader | Majority whip | Majority caucus chair | Minority leader | Assistant minority leader | Minority floor leader | Assistant minority floor leader | Minority whip | Minority caucus chair |
| Alabama | (a) | ES | AT | ... | (b) | ... | ... | ... | EC | ... | (b) | ... | ... | ... |
| Arkansas | (a) | ES | EC | ... | ... | EC | ... | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | ... | |
| Florida | EC/ES | AP | AP | ... | AP or AL | AP or AL | AP or AL | AP or AL | EC | AL | AL | AL | AL | AL |
| Georgia | (a) | ES | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | EC | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | EC |
| Kentucky (g) | ES | ES | ... | ... | EC | ... | EC | EC | ... | ... | EC | ... | EC | ... |
| Louisiana | ES | ES | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Maryland | ES | ES | AP (l) | AP (l) | (l) | (l) | AP or AL | ... | EC (m) | ... | (m) | ... | EC | ... |
| Mississippi | (a) | ES | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Missouri | (a) | ES | ... | ... | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | EC |
| North Carolina | (a) | ES | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | EC | EC | ... | ... | ... | EC | EC |
| Oklahoma | (a) | ES | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC | EC |
| South Carolina | (a) | ES | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | EC | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Tennessee | ES | AP | EC | ... | EC | EC | ... | EC | EC | ... | EC | ... | ... | EC |
| Texas | (a) | ES | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Virginia | (a) | ES | EC (y) | ... | EC (y) | ... | ... | EC | EC | ... | EC | ... | ... | EC |
| West Virginia | ES | AP | AP | ... | ... | ... | AP | ... | EC | ... | ... | ... | AL | ... |
| Key |
| AL - Appointed by party leader. |
| AP - Appointed by president. |
| AT - Appointed by president pro tempore. |
| EC - Elected by party caucus. |
| ES - Elected of confirmed by all member of the Senate. |
| ... - Position does not exist or is not selected on a regular basis. |
| (a) Lieutenant governor is president of the Senate by virtue of the office. |
| (b) Majority leader also serves as majority floor leader. Minority leader also serves as minority floor leader. |
| (g) In each chamber, the membership elects Chief Clerk; Assistant Clerk; Enrolling Clerk; Sergeant at Arms; Doorkeeper; Janitor; Cloakroom Keeper; and Pages. |
| (l) Majority leader also serves as majority floor leader; deputy majority leader is official title and serves as assistant majority floor leader. There is also an assistant deputy majority leader; there is also a deputy majority whip and assistant deupty majority whips; minority leader also serves as minority floor leader. |
| (m) Minority leader also serves as minority floor leader. |
| (y) Minority party in Senate elects caucus officers (vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer). The majority leader is also chair of the caucus. The majority floor leader is also vice-chair of the caucus. |
Source: CSG Book of the States, 2007