Minnesota Legislature returns with tears, roses, remembrances of Hortman
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Single roses appeared Tuesday on the desk of every Minnesota House member, some of whom wore green in honor of their slain colleague and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman.
Before long, they all piled high in front of a photographic portrait of her just inside the House chamber.
The fresh roses as well as a large floral arrangement were placed on Hortman’s empty desk and another bouquet sat in an empty seat where her husband, Mark, watched from when she became speaker in 2019 — a role she held for six years. She was the DFL House leader in a tied chamber last session.
The floral tribute along with words of reflection and other formal honors to the Hortmans punctuated the first day back at the Capitol for a Legislature rocked by their June 14 assassination.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Gov. Tim Walz called Hortman the “heart and soul” of the Legislature and a person who left her mark on the state. He said he learned from her, respected her and will forever miss her.
“We were partners,” he said from the front of the House chamber to a joint gathering of the Legislature. “She was a security blanket.”
Added Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth: “She was a fearless leader.”
House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson, who was mentored by Hortman and has since taken on her role, said she would want her colleagues to put their “head downs and get to work” in a session where so much is stacked against meaningful progress.
“As we try to move forward as a Minnesota House of Representatives, I know I'm not alone and sometimes feeling a little lost without Melissa,” he said.
Another lawmaker, state DFL Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, survived a connected shooting at their home.
“When you survive an attempted assassination, you look at the world differently,” Hoffman told the chamber in an emotional speech Tuesday as he thanked his family, friends and first responders that night. “What remains is what’s truly important — family, community and the responsibility that we have to care for one another.”
The people of Minnesota, he added, “are not asking us to be harsher. They’re asking us to be steady. They’re asking us to lead.”
The opening House prayer was the St. Francis of Assisi verse Hortman carried with her and that her son Colin read at the couple's funeral. It begins, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
Colin Hortman and other family members were in attendance.
Girl Scout troops from the northwest suburbs represented by Hortman and Hoffman gathered in the House well to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Hortman family pet, a former service dog named Gilbert, was also killed in the attack. Lawmakers also paid tribute to him and there were therapy dogs on hand in the building, too.
The Senate also celebrated Hoffman’s recovery from nine gunshot wounds and multiple surgeries. He received a standing ovation and words of praise.
As lawmakers exited the House chamber, they placed their roses on the Hortman desk. That desk, which also has a framed photo of her and her speaker’s gavel, will remain unoccupied this session as a reminder of her and a subtle warning about the consequences of political violence.
“The way you honor Melissa Hortman and Mark is how we conduct ourselves after,” Walz said. “It’s one thing to be reflective to the past and to tell stories of the past. It’s another of what did we learn from that.”
Tighter security at the Capitol is evident as well. Metal detectors and other weapons screenings were installed at the building entrances, which are also more limited. More uniformed officers are present as well. Other upgrades have been made but not detailed for security reasons.
The policy work of the session won’t get underway until Wednesday, when a host of committees planned to start diving into the pile of legislation that could see action this year.
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, a DFLer who served alongside Hortman for years, said the Legislature would be wrong to let the session go sideways.
“We have a choice. Will we devolve into the familiar and increasingly dangerous partisan divide, or will we do what I believe Melissa would want us to do, to lead with conviction and a plan for Minnesota,” Murphy said.
Lawmakers must conclude their session by May 18.
MPR News reporters Peter Cox, Cait Kelley and Nicole Ki contributed to this report.
