A House subcommittee has stripped the secretary of state out of a proposal to create more popularly elected positions in Tennessee.

Under the resolution sponsored by House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower, a Bristol Republican, the state constitution would be changed to elect both the lieutenant governor and the secretary of state.

Rep. Ulysses Jones, a Memphis Democrat, successfully changed the measure to only apply to the lieutenant governor.

The speaker of the Senate currently carries the title of lieutenant governor. The secretary of state is elected by lawmakers.

The Senate has already passed its version of the resolution to include both positions. Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, a Blountville Republican, has said he doesn’t expect the upper chamber to agree with any changes.

The earliest a proposal to change the state constitution could go before voters is in 2010.
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Read SJR0687 on the General Assembly’s Web site at: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us