What is a primary duty of the Speaker of the Tennessee House?

• A. The Speaker presides over the Senate and sets the legislative agenda for the session.
• B. The Speaker oversees city government operations.
• C. The Speaker appoints all members to House Committees and signs all acts, proceedings, or orders.
• D. The Speaker is the chief administrative officer of the state's judiciary.

Answer: (C)

Understanding what the Speaker does in the Tennessee House centers on control over the legislative process at the House level. The Speaker chairs floor sessions and, more importantly, determines who sits on House Committees and where each bill will go. This power to appoint committee members and assign bills shapes which measures move forward, get amended, or stall. The Speaker also signs acts, proceedings, or orders passed by the House, giving official authentication and record-keeping to those actions. Together, appointing committees and signing official documents are central duties that define the Speaker’s role in advancing the House’s work.

These other statements don’t fit because they describe responsibilities of different bodies or branches: the Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor, not the Speaker; city government operations are local, not a state House duty; and the chief administrative officer of the judiciary belongs to the judicial branch, not the legislative leader.