A new approach to appointments
Published 6:00 pm Thursday, February 26, 2009
Jim Folsom Jr. is serving his second term as lieutenant governor of Alabama, a position that vaulted him into the governor’s office when former governor Guy Hunt was removed from office in 1993.
Folsom, the son of former governor James “Big Jim” Folsom, changed the norm in Montgomery as governor by appointing women and African-American residents to his cabinet and other important posts in the state.
He also removed the Confederate Flag from the dome of the Capitol Building in Montgomery.
He was first elected to a statewide office in 1976 when he became a member of the Public Service Commission where he served two terms until he was elected lieutenant governor in 1990. He was unsuccessful in his bid for governor in
He was elected lieutenant governor again in November, 2004.
The lieutenant governor presides over the Alabama Senate. He is first in line to assume become governor if a governor leaves or is removed from office prior to completing his or her term of office.
As president of the Senate the lieutenant governor is in a powerful position in the legislature. He appoints committee members and determines points of order during sessions.
He and his wife, Marsha, are the parents of two children.
Lt. Governor Folsom can be contacted through his office in Montgomery at 334-242-7900.