Legislative Update – June 20, 2025
Dear neighbors,
Our community, state, and country are deep in grief and mourning after the loss of Melissa and Mark Hortman, whose lives were taken in a senseless act of political violence. My thoughts are with their children, Sophie and Colin, and the whole Hortman family.
Melissa was a singular force for good in Minnesota, dedicating her career to improving the lives of her neighbors and people she would never meet. Mark Hortman was an amazing person and always supportive of Melissa, and you can read more about his life in this MPR News memorial.
I was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2004, the same year as Melissa. I served alongside her for over 20 years as she became, as our fellow ‘04 classmate Pat Garofalo has said, the most-consequential Speaker in Minnesota history.
Photo of the Class of 2004, taken during the last week of the 2024 session.
Melissa’s legacy also includes the trees that dot the Capitol complex—including some she even planted herself. Melissa loved trees and I'm forever grateful that when I served as Environment Chair, we worked to pass the largest investment in the environment in state history, including huge investments in tree planting at the Capitol, in our state parks, and across Minnesota.
Melissa and Mark’s children Colin and Sophie wrote this beautiful memorial to their parents; with a list of things to do in remembrance of Mark and Melissa. Number one on that list is to plant a tree.
My thoughts are also with Senator John Hoffman, Yvette, and Hope as they continue to recover from the traumatic events of last weekend. The John Hoffman I know is a fighter, a dedicated public servant, and a compassionate advocate for disability services. The Hoffmans provided an update last night which you can read about here, and we continue to wish them a healthy recovery.
I want to thank law enforcement for all their work this past week as well as the South St. Paul police department, especially Chief Brian Wicke, for their coordination and communication starting early Saturday morning.
The grief and loss we feel in the aftermath of these tragic events is real, and we must all take the time to heal and recover in our own way. I’d like to share the words of my colleague, former Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn who served with Melissa and myself. She writes about grief, fear, hope, and love, which you can read here.
Inver Grove Heights Swing Bridge
I joined my colleagues and local leaders for the lighting of the Inver Grove Heights historic Rock Island Swing Bridge this week. Commissioner Joe Atkins shares some of the details about how we were able to get this project done here, including a $458,000 appropriation I authored and passed in 2023. I hope you get a chance to walk the bridge soon.
AURI Events
This week I met with the Shannon M. Schlecht, the Executive Director of Minnesota’s Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), which I was appointed to serve on by Melissa. AURI receives funding from the state in order to support innovation in the agricultural economy. After the AURI board meeting in Kimball, we toured Green Fox, a hemp farm, to learn more about their products and practices.
Kaposia Days
Finally, mark your calendars for Kaposia Days, coming up next week on June 27-29 in South St. Paul. You can find more information about the event on their website. I hope to see you there, out in community together.
Stay in Touch!
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the year. You can reach me by email at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-6828.
For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative