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Minneapolis (AP) – The best Democrat in Minnesota helped sponsor a package of liberal initiatives to pass when her party was a narrow majority two years ago. After the Democrats lost their majority, she helped mediate an agreement to maintain the financing of the state government and made a decisive vote on its passing, although its party hates this.
Deputy Melissa Hortmann, 55, the Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives and the former speaker, He was shot to death Early on Saturday at her home in the Minynabolis area with her husband by a person who pretends as a law enforcement officer. The prominent legislator in the area, Senator John Hoffman, was shot with his wife, at his home, about 15 minutes away, as Tim Walzi’s ruler described him as “targeted political violence.”
The shooting was shocked by both parties in a country whose policy is proud to be a “nice Minnesota”, despite the higher party tensions in recent years. While Minnesota has not voted in favor of a presidential candidate from the Republican Party since 1972, and all elected officials at the state level are Democrats, the legislative body is almost equal, with the House of Representatives divided 67-67 until the death of Hortman and Democrats carrying a majority of 34-33 in the Senate.
Hortmann led his democratic colleagues House sessions boycott For approximately a month, starting from January 14 to prevent the Republican Party from using a temporary vacancies in a democratic seat to support power on the room instead of working The arrangement of power sharing.
However, when the partisan in the House of Representatives threatened to prevent the legislative body from passing a budget to maintain the candidacy of the state government for the next two years, it was not only assisted in mediating the final deal but I got her passage By being the only democratic that votes yes on a major part of the deal.
“She was not only a leader – she was a good legislator, and Minnesotan will suffer everywhere because of this loss,” said Ken Martin, Chairman of the National Democratic Committee, Chairman of the Minnesota State Party and Siddiq Hortman.
Senator wound chairs are a major committee
Hoffman, 60, is the head of the Senate Humanitarian Services Committee, who oversees one of the largest parts of the state budget. He lives in Champlin, in the northwestern part of the Minynabolis region, and owned a consulting company, and he and his wife, Evit, were one daughter.
Previously, he was a manager of marketing and public relations for a non -profit provider for employment services for people with mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities and supervised the events detention center in Iowa. He was first elected to the Senate in 2012.
In 2023, Hoffman supported the budget legislation that extended the state’s state health program for migrants illegally living in the United States, starting this year. On Monday, a draft law voted to end that coverage for adults on January 1 – the goal of the Republican Party, which was a major part of the budget agreement that helped Hortman in the mediator.
Last year, Hoffman sponsored a draft law designed to prevent courts from preventing persons with disabilities from adopting children, and in 2023, he proposed an amendment to the state constitution to establish a fund to pay for long -term care by imposing taxes on the advantages of social security for the state’s scale in the state.
Hortman has served nine years as a democratic leader
Hortman was a democratic leader in the House of Representatives since 2017, and six years old, starting in 2019. She had to give up the job of the speaker this year after she produced the 2024 elections for partisan division. Her official title this year was the Emerita spokeswoman.
She and her husband, Mark, lived in Brooklyn Park, another suburb in the northwestern part of the Minynabolis region. They had two adult children.
She is a lawyer, twice lost races to the House of Representatives before winning her seat in 2004. American Senator and Democrats Minnesota Amy Klopothre recalled the campaigns of that year with Hortmann, when Klopochar was the chief prosecutor in Hinibin County, which includes Minypolis. Klopkhar praised Hortman’s support for free school lunch, women’s rights and clean energy, describing her as a “real public employee to the nucleus.”
“She was loved by her colleagues,” Kloposhr said in a statement.
Hortmann helped pay a sweeping agenda in 2023
Hortmann became part of the Democratic Command team in the Capitol Building in 2007 and the leader of the minority in the House of Representatives in 2017, before Democrats restored the majority of the House of Representatives in 2019.
In 2023 and 2024, the Democrats took control of both councils and used their majority to age a comprehensive liberal agenda Practically everything on A list of ambitious wishes. The measures included Exposed abortion and Cross rightsand Family and medical leave, worldwide Free school lunch, Child care credits and other assistance to families.
Previously, the state’s car emissions of cars, such as California, and a ban on the sale of mercury products. I also suggested a feasibility study ending state investments in fossil fuel companies.
“She knew how to determine her values, but she understood the importance of teamwork and the solution medium and has not retracted the difficult options,” Kaith Ellson, the Minnesota prosecutor, said in a statement. “It was difficult, and it was nice, and it was the best of us.”
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Hanna mentioned Tobika, Kansas.