Late House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO) – The Minnesota Legislature convenes Tuesday at noon with both chambers set to gavel in before joining together for a memorial honoring the late House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman.
Lawmakers from the House and Senate will gather in the House chamber to pay tribute to Hortman, who served as Speaker from 2019 to 2023 and remained a central figure in DFL leadership.
Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth said the joint memorial reflects Hortman’s legacy of bipartisanship and respect across the aisle.
“You’ll see a very meaningful memorial and bringing together Democrats and Republicans in the House chamber along with our Senate colleagues,” Demuth said.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison released an open letter on the start of the 2026 legislative session.
“Today, as we open a new legislative session, our hearts are heavy with grief. We come together not only to govern, but to remember and honor the extraordinary life and service of our friend and colleague, Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman. The tragic and senseless violence that took her life, along with her husband’s and their family dog’s, has left a wound in the conscience of our state. We mourn her deeply even as we celebrate the legacy she built through a lifetime of service to the people of Minnesota,” Ellison’s statement said, in part.
Sen. John Hoffman (D-Champlin, Minn)
In the Senate, lawmakers will welcome back Senator John Hoffman, who returns to the Capitol for the first time since being injured in the June 14 shooting. Hoffman is expected to speak when the chamber opens its session.
Related Coverage:
- Melissa Hortman, Minnesota lawmaker killed in targeted shootings, is remembered as devoted public servant
- Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and husband shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home
- Killing of Hortman is first assassination in Minnesota history
- Chilling new details released about the shooting of Minnesota state senator and wife
- Man charged with killing former Minnesota House speaker says he looks forward to ‘truth’ coming out
- Minnesotans say final goodbyes to Hortmans
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