1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to courts; increasing the number of trial 
  1.3             court judgeships; appropriating money; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 2.722, subdivision 1, 
  1.5             and by adding a subdivision. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 2.722, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [DESCRIPTION.] Effective July 1, 1959, the 
  1.10  state is divided into ten judicial districts composed of the 
  1.11  following named counties, respectively, in each of which 
  1.12  districts judges shall be chosen as hereinafter specified: 
  1.13     1.  Goodhue, Dakota, Carver, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott, and 
  1.14  Sibley; 28 29 judges; and four permanent chambers shall be 
  1.15  maintained in Red Wing, Hastings, Shakopee, and Glencoe and one 
  1.16  other shall be maintained at the place designated by the chief 
  1.17  judge of the district; 
  1.18     2.  Ramsey; 24 judges; 
  1.19     3.  Wabasha, Winona, Houston, Rice, Olmsted, Dodge, Steele, 
  1.20  Waseca, Freeborn, Mower, and Fillmore; 22 judges; and permanent 
  1.21  chambers shall be maintained in Faribault, Albert Lea, Austin, 
  1.22  Rochester, and Winona; 
  1.23     4.  Hennepin; 57 judges; 
  1.24     5.  Blue Earth, Watonwan, Lyon, Redwood, Brown, Nicollet, 
  1.25  Lincoln, Cottonwood, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock, Faribault, 
  2.1   Martin, and Jackson; 17 judges; and permanent chambers shall be 
  2.2   maintained in Marshall, Windom, Fairmont, New Ulm, and Mankato; 
  2.3      6.  Carlton, St. Louis, Lake, and Cook; 15 judges; 
  2.4      7.  Benton, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, 
  2.5   Stearns, Todd, Clay, Becker, and Wadena; 22 23 judges; and 
  2.6   permanent chambers shall be maintained in Moorhead, Fergus 
  2.7   Falls, Little Falls, and St. Cloud; 
  2.8      8.  Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Renville, 
  2.9   Swift, Yellow Medicine, Big Stone, Grant, Pope, Stevens, 
  2.10  Traverse, and Wilkin; 11 judges; and permanent chambers shall be 
  2.11  maintained in Morris, Montevideo, and Willmar; 
  2.12     9.  Norman, Polk, Marshall, Kittson, Red Lake, Roseau, 
  2.13  Mahnomen, Pennington, Aitkin, Itasca, Crow Wing, Hubbard, 
  2.14  Beltrami, Lake of the Woods, Clearwater, Cass and Koochiching; 
  2.15  20 21 judges; and permanent chambers shall be maintained in 
  2.16  Crookston, Thief River Falls, Bemidji, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, 
  2.17  and International Falls; 
  2.18     10.  Anoka, Isanti, Wright, Sherburne, Kanabec, Pine, 
  2.19  Chisago, and Washington; 34 36 judges; and permanent chambers 
  2.20  shall be maintained in Anoka, Stillwater, and other places 
  2.21  designated by the chief judge of the district. 
  2.22     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 2.722, is amended 
  2.23  by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.24     Subd. 4a.  [REFEREE VACANCY; CONVERSION TO JUDGESHIP.] When 
  2.25  a referee of the district court dies, resigns, retires, or is 
  2.26  removed from the position, the chief judge of the district shall 
  2.27  notify the supreme court and may petition to request that the 
  2.28  position be converted to a judgeship.  The supreme court shall 
  2.29  determine within 90 days of the petition whether to continue the 
  2.30  referee position, order the position abolished, or convert the 
  2.31  position to a judgeship in the affected or another judicial 
  2.32  district.  The supreme court shall certify any judicial vacancy 
  2.33  to the governor, who shall fill it in the manner provided by law.
  2.34     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.35     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.36  district courts for the additional judge units specified in 
  3.1   section 1. 
  3.2      Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATES.] 
  3.3      The additional judge units authorized for the first, 
  3.4   seventh, and tenth judicial districts are effective July 1, 
  3.5   1995.  The additional judge unit authorized for the ninth 
  3.6   judicial district is effective July 1, 1996.