A retired representative of Melissa Hartman talks to colleagues during a special legislative session on Monday, June 9, 2025 in Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. (Photo Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
Leaders in the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania offered a moment of silence for the representation of the democratic state of Minnesota Melissa Hortman and her husband, who were shot and killed on Saturday morning in what the authorities call the murder.
“I know that so many of us did not have the pleasure to meet Melissa and Mark and meet them personally,” said House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-D-Liladelphia) on Monday. “However, this afternoon there is pain in our hearts when we start the week of the legislative session.”
Hortman, who was one of the most influential officials chosen in Minnesota of the last decade, died on Saturday morning after a man impersonating a policeman shot her at her house in Brooklyn Park, said Governor Tim Walz.
Vance Boelter was arrested on Sunday evening for the murder of Hortman, her husband and shooting the Senator of the Democratic State-Rolnik John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Many federal fees were submitted against Boelter on Monday.
When McClinton presented prayers for victims, their families and communities that serve, she described violence as “more than an attack on two selected officials.”
“It was an attack on democratic ideals on which our nation was founded and that each of us was collectively represented every day,” said McClinton.
McClinton referred to the governor of Josh Shapiro, who was the target of the attack in the governor’s residence earlier in April, as well as two attempts to murder Donald Trump during the presidential campaign in 2024 as other examples of political violence that should be condemned.
“They can’t become widespread,” said McClinton. “Now there is an opportunity for us to stand together in condemning these cowardly acts of political violence and involvement in treating each other with dignity and respect.”
The leader of the majority of the house Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) described the attacks as “immoral, unfettered. It is a threat to our great democracy.”
“The dangers associated with political violence have become too real in recent days, regardless of whether it is then a former president, now our current president or our current governor, this kind of evil simply does not know the party,” said Bradford.
“If you love our country, you can’t hate your political enemies,” said Bradford and added that the nation has seen “too much this in the last few years.”
“This is the duty of all political leaders, regardless of the party, to condemn him without condition, without false equivalence,” he said. “It’s just a work of evil. It reminds us of the need for kindness, grace and kindness, not only towards ourselves, not only in this building, but in our society.”
The leader of the home minority Jesse Topper (R-Bedford) also presented his condolences to the inhabitants of Minnesota.
“Over the past decade, we have talked about the tragedies in this chamber in the last decade,” said Topper. “We always know that there will be madness and evil in the world and acts of disturbed people. But I think we also know that relationships built among colleagues, among our voters: these are great forces of light that can shine in times of darkness.”
“I can only say that we are moving forward, we cannot be so absorbed in what we see in hatred and evil in the world that we lose a sense of relationship and this goal with each other,” added Topper.
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (d-heladelphia) sent Co -consisting note On Monday, his plans to introduce regulations aimed at ensuring the safety of candidates and public officials.
“In September 2024, the Federal Electoral Commission voted with permission for federal candidates and officials to use the campaign funds for professional staff and security services,” writes Kenyatta. “However, this new rule does not include candidates and officials.”
“To extend such protection for candidates and officials at the state level, I will introduce a legislative package that includes permission to use the campaign funds for these services. This will ensure that officials in our state have access to security services if necessary, regardless of their funds,” he added. “Political violence threatens the free and fair functioning of democracy at every level of the government. Please, to sign this important means of public security.”
Boelter is a Christian who voted for President Donald Trump and opposes the laws of abortion and LGBTQ, in accordance with interviews With a childhood friend and films of his sermons published online. The list of potential goals – including Hoffman and Hortman – included suppliers of abortion and other democratic selected officials from Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Trump condemned violence as “terrifying” in accordance with ABC News The report on Sunday, although he also accused Walz of being a “terrible governor” and said that he could “call him” after attacks.
Sister shop from Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Minnesota reformerHe contributed to this story.
