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was originally reported by Grace Panetta of . .

Melissa Hortman, a former Minnesota House speaker who championed the passage of ambitious progressive policies in the state, was assassinated early Saturday in what Gov. Tim Walz called 鈥渁n act of targeted political violence.鈥� 

Hortman, 55, who was elected to the Minnesota House in 2004, became the speaker of the state鈥檚 House of Representatives in 2019 and, during her first few years, presided over the chamber under a divided government. In 2022, when the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party won full control of the state government, Hortman played a key role in shaping what legislation the chamber would prioritize, working closely with Walz to enact a slew of progressive policies that included major investments in children and families, as well as expanded protections for abortion and gender-affirming care. She left the post in March.

A man posing as a police officer killed Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park in what Walz described at a news conference as an apparent 鈥減olitically motivated assassination.鈥� DFL state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot by the same gunman at their home in nearby Champlin. Walz said they were out of surgery and was 鈥渃autiously optimistic鈥� that they would make a recovery.  

鈥淥ur state lost a great leader and I lost the greatest of friends,鈥� Walz said. 鈥淪peaker Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humour and a sense of service. She was a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota. She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place. She is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many.鈥�  

Hours after the attacks, an 鈥渆xtensive manhunt鈥� remained underway for the suspect, who impersonated a law enforcement officer to enter Hortman鈥檚 home, Brooklyn Park chief of police Mark Bruley told reporters in a news conference Saturday. The suspect fled on foot, leaving behind his car, where, law enforcement officials found a list containing about 70 names, including abortion providers and advocates, as well as lawmakers.

Here鈥檚 a look at Hortman鈥檚 legislative history and legacy on key policies:

Abortion:

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion in June 2022, Minnesota emerged as a key access point for abortion as other Midwestern states moved to ban the procedure. 

鈥淭here was a simmering rage that did not stop,鈥� Hortman said after the 2022 election, according to . 鈥淚 was hopeful that voters would take that energy and put it on the ballot and vote for Democrats. And thankfully they did.鈥�

In 2023, Hortman led the Minnesota House in passing , legislation that codified the legality of abortion and other forms of reproductive health care in the state. In subsequent bills, the Minnesota legislature eliminated other restrictions on abortion, passed protections for abortion providers, boosted state funding for clinics providing abortion and eliminated funding for anti-abortion counseling centers.     

LGBTQ+ rights:聽

The Minnesota legislature passed a bill for minors in the state, which Walz signed into law in April 2023. Lawmakers passed additional legislation with that made Minnesota a 鈥渢rans refuge state.鈥�  

Paid leave:聽

In with the Minnesota Reformer, Hortman cited a as 鈥渢he most rewarding鈥� piece of legislation she passed. The legislature also enacted paid sick leave and paid safe leave for survivors of intimate partner violence, to help them find temporary housing or seek relief in court. 

鈥淎n average person can take time, whether it鈥檚 to take care of somebody who has cancer or to take care of a new baby,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople shouldn鈥檛 have to choose between a job and recovering from illness.鈥�

Child care and education:聽

Hortman and Walz passed major investments in aimed at lowering child poverty and hunger. These included providing free school breakfasts and lunches, expanding the child tax credit and increasing funding for early childhood scholarships, child care provider stabilization funds and child care for low-income families. Lawmakers also enacted a program making tuition at Minnesota鈥檚 public colleges free for families earning less than $80,00 a year.   

鈥淔rom the word 鈥榞o,鈥� you can see that children were top of mind,鈥� Hortman . 鈥淕ov. Tim Walz gave a very inspiring state of the state address in 2023. He was very clear that his administration was focused on reducing childhood poverty. The DFL House and the DFL Senate said, 鈥楪overnor, we are right there with you.鈥欌��

In 2024, Minnesota lawmakers from local schools and libraries on the basis of ideological or content objections. 

Gun safety and criminal justice:聽

After the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020, Hortman worked across the aisle to . In 2023, the Minnesota legislature passed the Restore the Vote Act, which restored voting rights to formerly incarcerated Minnesotans upon completion of their sentences. Hortman was also an advocate for gun violence prevention . In 2023, Walz signed a bill that measures like universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, or 鈥渞ed flag鈥� laws. In 2024, the Minnesota legislature that, among other things,聽made straw purchases of firearms a felony.聽

鈥淲e clearly have a gun violence problem in this country, and there are things we can do about it, and we did them,鈥� Hortman .

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