1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to courts; providing for the Commission on 
  1.3             Judicial Selection to recommend to the governor 
  1.4             nominees for Tax Court vacancies; amending Minnesota 
  1.5             Statutes 2002, section 480B.01, subdivisions 1, 10. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 480B.01, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [JUDICIAL VACANCIES.] If a judge of the 
  1.10  district court ~~or~~, Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, or 
  1.11  Tax Court dies, resigns, retires, or is removed during the 
  1.12  judge's term of office, or if a new district ~~or~~, Workers' 
  1.13  Compensation Court of Appeals, or Tax Court judgeship is 
  1.14  created, the resulting vacancy must be filled by the governor as 
  1.15  provided in this section. 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 480B.01, 
  1.17  subdivision 10, is amended to read: 
  1.18     Subd. 10.  [NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC.] Upon receiving notice 
  1.19  from the governor that a judicial vacancy has occurred or will 
  1.20  occur on a specified date, the chair shall provide notice of the 
  1.21  following information: 
  1.22     (1) the office that is or will be vacant; 
  1.23     (2) that applications from qualified persons or on behalf 
  1.24  of qualified persons are being accepted by the commission; 
  1.25     (3) that application forms may be obtained from the 
  2.1   governor or the commission at a named address; and 
  2.2      (4) that application forms must be returned to the 
  2.3   commission by a named date.  
  2.4      For a district court vacancy, the notice must be made 
  2.5   available to attorney associations in the judicial district 
  2.6   where the vacancy has occurred or will occur and to at least one 
  2.7   newspaper of general circulation in each county in the 
  2.8   district.  For a Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals or Tax 
  2.9   Court vacancy, the notice must be given to state attorney 
  2.10  associations and all forms of the public media.