1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the legislature; providing for the 
  1.3             organization of an equally divided house; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 3.06, by adding a 
  1.5             subdivision. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 3.06, is 
  1.8   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 3.  [EQUALLY DIVIDED HOUSE.] This subdivision applies 
  1.10  to initial organization of the house of representatives in 
  1.11  January of an odd-numbered year, if there is a tie vote for 
  1.12  speaker of the house of representatives or for any other officer 
  1.13  of the house of representatives.  If this occurs, the candidate 
  1.14  nominated by the caucus of the governor's political party is 
  1.15  elected.  This subdivision does not apply if the governor is not 
  1.16  a member of one of the two political parties whose candidates 
  1.17  received the most votes for speaker.  If a speaker is elected 
  1.18  under the procedures of this subdivision, all appointments to 
  1.19  legislative committees, legislative commissions, and other 
  1.20  legislative bodies must be made in equal numbers from the caucus 
  1.21  of each political party.  If a statute provides for an odd 
  1.22  number of members of the house of representatives to serve on a 
  1.23  legislative commission, the caucus that will have the extra 
  1.24  member must be determined by lot.