“I do not propose to be buried until I am really dead and in my coffin.” – allegedly said by Massachusetts political titan Daniel Webster after twice being urged to seek his party’s nomination for vice president

Have you ever been the last pick in a game of kickball, the last person asked for a dance, or the last person to present your book report to the class?

If you have, maybe you can empathize with being Alabama’s lieutenant governor. Others barely know you exist and have little interest in what you say or do.

It has not always been this way. The lieutenant governor used to have some juice around Montgomery.

As the presiding officer of the Alabama State Senate, a lieutenant governor could appoint both the members and the chairpersons of the Senate’s legislative committees and had a substantial say in whether or not a bill would be voted upon by the Senate.

Now the lieutenant governor is not even involved in the discussion for committee assignments and has almost no control over the legislative process except for applying the rules of parliamentary procedure and assigning bills to committees. That’s not nothing, but it is far from what it used to be.

Outside of Senate duties, the lieutenant governor makes some appointments to various state boards and agencies and attends an assortment of meetings and ceremonies, and that’s all folks.

But every dog has its day, and you might even say the Office of Lieutenant Governor is having a moment right now. First, Alabamians will be voting on a constitutional amendment on Nov. 3 to decide what to do when there is a vacancy in the lieutenant governor’s office.

Currently, there is no mechanism to replace the lieutenant governor should he or she take over as governor, leave office, or die. Alabama operated without a lieutenant governor from April 2017 to January 2019 when Kay Ivey moved into the governor’s chair after Robert Bentley resigned.

If we are going to have a lieutenant governor, passing this amendment is probably a good idea just to provide Alabamians with a sense of stability should the sitting governor’s continued service be in jeopardy.

As it stands now, the president pro tempore of the Senate – who is elected in his or her senate district – takes over if we lose both the governor and lieutenant governor in the same term. This change will ensure a replacement governor will have at least won a statewide election.

The other reason the Office of Lieutenant Governor is getting some shine is a proposal by the Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, Doug Jones and Phillip Ensler, respectively.

The Democratic pair suggests moving the lieutenant governor position under the governor’s authority. Their thinking is this will allow the lieutenant governor to help with pushing the governor’s agenda in the Senate and with getting the lieutenant governor more involved in the operations of the state’s executive branch.

Candidates would also run on the same ticket, similar to the U.S. president and vice president, instead of running for their positions individually.

There have been some governors and lieutenant governors who get along well while others have been more adversarial under our existing set up. Current Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and Ivey have a frosty relationship despite both being Republicans.

Is the Jones-and-Ensler plan an improvement from the current way of doing things? Not really.

Right now the lieutenant governor is independent but powerless. The Jones-and-Ensler plan will seemingly shift it into being a high-level bureaucratic position without any additional duties and authority.

If the arrangement is anything like a presidential-and-vice-presidential relationship, it will be up to the governor to decide what the lieutenant governor can or cannot do.

Most vice presidents seem to be bored to tears by the low-level responsibilities and political clout they possess.

The best solution might be to abolish the lieutenant governor position.

A handful of states operate without a lieutenant governor, and the position did not exist in Alabama under two of the state’s previous constitutions. The only real issue seems to be who should take over if a governor cannot finish his or her term.

I say just put in another statewide elected position such as state treasurer, auditor, or agriculture commissioner and have the legislature appoint someone to fill the opening created when that person assumes the governorship.

As a bonus, people may actually pay attention to whom they elect to serve in those offices if they know there is a small chance that person could become governor.

Can’t forget about a lieutenant governor if you don’t have one.