‘A woman with strength and experience’: Speaker Lisa Demuth mourns legislative counterpart, Melissa Hortman
Melissa Hortman became Minnesota Speaker of the House on Jan the same day Lisa Demuth started in the Legislature The first day when we were sworn in she became speaker and then gave her speech I remember her pointing out her family specifically in the gallery and mentioning them Demuth R-Cold Spring and the current House speaker disclosed in an interview Monday And I don t remember anything else she stated I just remember looking at a woman with strength and experience That Hortman spelled out not just her initiative preferences but life priorities was galvanizing Demuth noted And her respect for Hortman buoyed the Legislature passing budget bills last week amid a House split evenly between Republicans and DFLers She was very decisive and gave clear direction and really empowered the people working alongside her Demuth reported of Hortman Demuth gave interviews Monday to reporters at her Capitol office Scheduled last week the idea was to take stock of the just-completed legislative session That obviously changed following the fatal shooting Saturday of Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman in their Brooklyn Park home Related from New House Republican leader Lisa Demuth plans to lead with calm and conversational style Sunday night law enforcement authorities apprehended the shooting suspect Vance Boelter On Monday prosecutors charged Boelter with murdering the Hortmans and attempting to murder Sen John Hoffman DFL-Champlin and his spouse Yvette Hoffman who have each survived gunshot wounds Also Monday Sen Ann Rest DFL-New Hope declared she learned from police that the suspect was parked outside her home Saturday morning I am so grateful for the heroic work of the New Hope police department and its officers Rest disclosed in a comment Their quick action saved my life Demuth also praised law enforcement for making sure there was enhanced population safety for elected agents Requested if she felt safe Demuth replied Yeah I do It s something that maybe people have taken for granted and I don t think anyone ever will ever again Hortman s death has political ramifications It was evident during budget talks that Demuth could work well with Hortman Calling themselves association House they held press conferences where Demuth played serious foil to Hortman s quips House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman DFL-Brooklyn Park speaks to reporters on Friday June at the Capitol following the announcement of a special session to finish the state budget House Speaker Lisa Demuth R-Cold Spring is at right Credit MinnPost photo by Shadi Bushra Petitioned in late May whether budget working groups would get a new deadline to complete their negotiations Hortman revealed to laughs We did and they blew it We haven t given them another deadline to blow Then Demuth stepped in to say the pair communicated with the working groups and a lot of the groups were saying we re really close we just need a little more time Still their agreement to share power in the House with Hortman taking the title Speaker Emerita came after the DFL caucus sat out the session s first days Related Unforced errors put DFL House in worse-than-a-tie position but GOP high hopes for majority could end in court Demuth invariably mentioned this delay as to why lawmakers did not pass budget bills by May when the Legislature was scheduled to adjourn The partisan conflict grew when Republicans successfully pushed to remove undocumented immigrant adults from a state subsidized physical condition care plan a move vehemently opposed by rank-and-file DFLers Demuth commented Monday that she has kept in contact with other House Republicans about how to publicly discuss Hortman s murder and combat lies about the slaying Just lead by example that these are the things that are verified that we know and then be absolutely compassionate to the loss that everyone is feeling she announced In my mind it isn t even a partisan political thing It s just an unhinged very dangerous person that carried out a horrific act and that s what I know right now The memorial for DFL Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman outside the Minnesota House chamber on Monday June Credit MinnPost photo by Matthew Blake Though morbid to mention Hortman s death does give Republicans a majority in the House There will be a special balloting for Hortman s seat before the Legislature is scheduled to reconvene in February But the seat might not be filled before another practicable special session Gov Tim Walz and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy DFL-St Paul have noted this possibility due to feasible federal budget cuts Demuth mentioned Monday she was too deep into grieving to go in-depth on strategy She did defend the Republican budget strategy of curbing soundness care subsidies for undocumented immigrant adults while leaving untouched other DFL legislative gains There were several things we were not able to get changed or done but I think we did a good job as far as working together in a bipartisan fashion Demuth commented The post A woman with strength and experience Speaker Lisa Demuth mourns legislative counterpart Melissa Hortman appeared first on MinnPost
