The seventy-first legislature is noteworthy for the partisan composition of the House of Representatives.

Until Bob Pavlak was unseated for unfair campaign practices,[1] the House was equally divided between the DFL and the Independent-Republicans.

[2] Due to the tie, the DFL and the Independent-Republicans were forced to forge a compromise by which the Independent-Republicans were to elect the Speaker from among their own ranks, while the DFL would be given the chairmanship of, and one-vote majorities on, the rules and tax committees.

This agreement was superseded for the 1980 continuation of the regular session, by which time the DFL had gained a slim majority in the House.

A special session was convened on May 24, 1979, to consider three bills regarding workers' compensation, energy, and transportation appropriations.