Draft November 2024
Minnesota Issue Guide
Split Legislative Control of the Minnesota House in 1979
After the November 1978 election, the House was evenly split along party lines (67 Independent-Republicans and 67 Democrats). Negotiations ensued between the election and the first day of session to determine how power would be shared.
The Minneapolis Tribune summarized other aspects of the agreement -- "The agreement gives the Republicans the speaker pro tem post as well as the speakership, 12 committee chairmanships and the chairmanships of all the divisions of both the appropriations and tax committees. They also get a one-vote majority on the tax divisions . . . . The agreement . . . gives the DFL the chairmanship of the three most powerful committees in the House - rules, taxes and appropriations. They also get a one-vote majority on the rules and tax committees, a Democrat floor leader and the same number of committee chairmanships as the Republicans." ("Minnesota House Elects Searle its Speaker." Minneapolis Tribune, January 9, 1979).
The documents below can provide additional historical context:
Books and Reports
Minnesota Standoff: The Politics of Deadlock. (by Rod Searle) Alton Press, 1990.
Legislators and legislative staff can request a copy of this book by emailing library@lrl.mn.gov.
Articles
"The year the House was tied, and how the two parties made peace … until they didn’t." Session Daily,
Negotiating Sessions
Negotiating Session No. 1 (November 21, 1978, 9:30 A.M., Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 2 (November 28, 1978, 9:00 A.M. , Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 3 (November 29, 1978, 10:00 A.M., Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 4 (December 4, 1978, 2:00 P.M., Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 5 (December 5, 1978, 5:30 P.M., Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 6 (December 7, 1978, 10:00 A.M. , Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 7 (December 11, 1978, 2:00 P.M.)
Negotiating Session No. 8 (December 12, 1978, 1:30 P.M)
Negotiating Session No. 9 (December 14, 1978, 3:00 P.M., Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 10 (December 15, 1978 10:30 A.M.)
Negotiating Session No. 11 (December 18, 1978, 8:00 P.M., Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 12 (No date, 2:00 P.M., Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 13 (December 21, 1978, 11 :00 A.M., Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 14 (December 27, 1978 7:00 P.M. Room 15, State Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 15 (December 29, 1978, 10:30 A.M., Room 15, Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 16 (January 2, 1979, 11:00 A.M., Room 15, Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 17 (January 3, 1979, 3:00 P.M., Room 123, Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 18 (January 4, 1979, Room 123, Capitol)
Negotiating Session No. 19 (January 5, 1979, 10:00 A.M., Room 123, Capitol )
Negotiating Session No. 20 (January 6, 1979, 1:20 P.M., Room 123, Capitol)
House Research Memos
December 5, 1978 House Research Department memo to the House Organization Negotiation Committee
December 6, 1978 House Research Department memo to the House Organization Negotiation Committee
December 7, 1978 House Research Department memo to the House Organization Negotiation Committee
Proposed and Final Agreements
I-R Proposal for House Organization: Contract, Committee Structure, Rules Cornnittee and Speaker Tuesday, December 12, 1978
DFL Proposal for House Organization, December 27, 1978
I-R Proposal for House Organization: Contract, Committee Structure, Rules Committee, Speaker and the First Two Days of the Legislative Session, December 29, 1978
I-R Proposal for House Organization: Contract, Committee Structure, Rules Committee and Speaker, January 3, 1979
DFL - IR Proposal for House Organization: Contract, Committee Structure, Rules Committee and Speaker, January 3, 1979, As Amended January 7, 1979
DFL - IR Proposal for House Organization: Contract, Committee Structure, Rules Committee and Speaker, January 3, 1979, As Amended January 7, 1979, Annotated and Signed Version
You can search by keyword all the negotiating sessions, House Research memos, and the agreements together in this combined document.
1979 House Journals
1st Legislative Day - January 3, 1979
2nd Legislative Day - January 4, 1979
3rd Legislative Day -- January 5, 1979
All House Journals for 1979-1980