You asked for the constitutional functions of Connecticut's statewide officers, other than governor and lieutenant governor.

Citations in this report are to the Codified Constitution of the State of Connecticut.

SUMMARY

The Connecticut Constitution establishes broad functions for the treasurer, secretary of the state, and comptroller. It creates more specific requirements for each office with respect to elections and for the secretary of the state concerning the legislative session and redistricting. It does not specify any constitutional functions for the attorney general. The Constitution references the attorney general only twice, both times in Article Fourth regarding election to that office. Rather, the statutes set out the attorney general's duties (CGS § 3-125 et seq). The statutes likewise enumerate duties for the treasurer (CGS § 3-11 et seq), secretary (CGS §§ 3-77 et seq. and 9-4), and comptroller (CGS § 3-111 et seq).

TREASURER

The Connecticut Constitution provides that “[t]he treasurer shall receive all monies belonging to the state, and disburse the same only as he may be directed by law. He shall pay no warrant, or order for the disbursement of public money, until the same has been registered in the office of the comptroller,” (Art. 4, § 22).

SECRETARY OF THE STATE

Under the Constitution, the secretary of the state “shall have the safe keeping and custody of the public records and documents, and particularly of the acts, resolutions and orders of the general assembly, and record the same; and perform all such duties as shall be prescribed by law. He shall be the keeper of the seal of the state, which shall not be altered,” (Art. 4, § 23).

In addition, the secretary of the state:

1. convenes the veto session (Art. 3, § 2);

2. upon the request of the Senate president pro tempore and speaker of the House, notifies members of the General Assembly of a special session called for the purpose of adopting a decennial redistricting plan (Art. 3, § 6);

3. receives and publishes the reapportionment commission's plan in the event that the governor appoints a commission because the General Assembly fails to adopt a redistricting plan by its deadline (Art. 3, § 6);

4. notifies the Supreme Court's chief justice if the reapportionment commission fails to submit a plan by November 30 (Art. 3, § 6);

5. receives and publishes the Supreme Court's redistricting plan in the event that the court establishes one because there is an error in the reapportionment commission's plan or the commission failed to file one (Art. 3, § 6);

6. receives the official election results for statewide and legislative races (Art. 3, § 9 and Art. 4, § 4);

7. attests to the formation of all state commissions (Art. 4, § 14);

8. receives bills from the governor, whether or not approved, after the General Assembly passes them (Art. 4, § 15);

9. returns any vetoed bill, together with the governor's veto message, to the chamber from which it originated (Art. 4, § 15);

10. receives vetoed bills that both chambers override through the approval of at least two-thirds of the members (Art. 4, § 15);

11. receives line item vetoes from the governor in appropriation bills, together with her veto message (Art. 4, § 16);

12. convenes the Senate to elect one of its members as president pro tempore within 15 days of a vacancy in that office (Art. 4, § 20); and

13. transmits proposed constitutional amendments that pass the General Assembly to each town clerk for placement on the ballot during the next regular state election (Art. 12).

COMPTROLLER

The Connecticut Constitution states that the comptroller “shall adjust and settle all public accounts and demands, except grants and orders of the general assembly. He shall prescribe the mode of keeping and rendering all public accounts. He shall, ex officio, be one of the auditors of the accounts of the treasurer. The general assembly may assign to him other duties in relation to his office, and to that of the treasurer, and shall prescribe the manner in which his duties shall be performed,” (Art. 4, § 24).

In addition, the Constitution requires the comptroller's office to publish and record the amount of the perpetual School Fund (Art. 8, § 4).

STATEWIDE OFFICERS' ELECTION-RELATED FUNCTIONS

The Constitution requires the statewide officers, other than the attorney general, governor, and lieutenant governor, to perform certain functions in connection with state elections. The treasurer, secretary of the state, and comptroller must:

1. canvass publicly the votes for state senators and state representatives (Art. 3, § 7);

2. count, canvass, and declare the votes for the statewide officers (except their own) (Art. 4, § 4); and

3. provide the General Assembly with the moderators' returns and the final statement of vote on the first day of the next regular session (Art. 4, § 4).

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