Slain lawmaker broke down as she defended brave vote days before 'politically motivated' shooting
Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman was on the verge of tears after casting a controversial vote that broke with her party, just five days before a 'politically motivated shooting' claimed her life.
The slain State Representative cast the lone Democratic vote on Tuesday in favor of repealing eligibility for undocumented adults to access MinnesotaCare, the state's subsidized health insurance program.
The vote passed 68–65, according to the Minnesota Legislature.
Hortman's decision did not come lightly. Following the late-night legislative session, which adjourned just before 11 pm, she appeared visibly emotional in a post-meeting interview.
'What I worry about is that people will lose their health insurance. I know that people will be hurt by that vote, and I'm...' Hortman, 55, said, with tears welling in her eyes.
After briefly pausing to compose herself, she continued: 'We worked very hard to try to get a budget deal that wouldn't include that provision. And we tried any other way we could to come to a budget agreement with Republicans and they wouldn't have it.'
Hortman's decision was met with immediate backlash from her party and constituents as many viewed her vote as a betrayal of the progressive values she had long championed.
'This bill is cruel. It is inhumane. And it will cost real human, Minnesotan lives,' Democratic Representative Jamie Long said.
'They turned all of those things down, because all they wanted was to make sure that the 17,000 people were left out to die, that we worsen our healthcare system and that we decrease our tax revenue,' Democratic Senator Alice Mann said at a Monday press conference denouncing the repeal.
Despite the criticism, those close to Hortman said her vote reflected a deep-seated belief in fiscal responsibility, as the state faces a projected $6 billion budget deficit by 2028, CBS reported.
Just days later, on Saturday, Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home in what Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has labeled a 'politically motivated assassination.'
The alleged shooter, Vance Luther Boelter, a former appointee of Walz's, posed as a police officer and was found with a manifesto naming nearly 70 individuals - including Hortman - indicating a coordinated plan to target political figures.
Just before his attack on the State Representative, Boelter gravely injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, shooting them while they were asleep in their Champlin home - eight miles from Hortman's suburban neighborhood.
An extensive search effort followed as members from local police, sheriff's deputies, and the FBI scanned the Minnesota suburb for any signs of the alleged killer who remains at large.
Though authorities have confirmed the discovery of Boelter's alleged manifesto, a clear motive for the early morning shootings has not been revealed.
The tragedy comes on the same day protestors were set to gather in St. Paul for planned protests against President Donald Trump in events promoted as 'No Kings' demonstrations.
The gatherings were timed for the same day Trump will be attending a military parade in Washington, D.C., to mark the Army's 250th anniversary - and amid heightened tensions with National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles to counter anti-ICE protests there.
The tragedy has since drawn widespread condemnation as leaders from both parties have denounced the violence and called for unity.
Speaking at a press conference Saturday, Walz said: 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence. Those responsible for this will be held accountable.'
President Donald Trump added, 'Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!'
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack 'evil' and said she was 'heartbroken beyond words' by the deaths of Hortman and her husband.
'With the law enforcement response ongoing and details still emerging, I will simply ask all Minnesotans to please lift up in prayer the victims of this horrific attack, as well as the law enforcement personnel still working to apprehend the perpetrator,' Demuth said in a statement.
Hortman, a lawyer and legislator for two decades, served as House Speaker from 2019 to 2025. She represented a safely Democratic district and consistently won re-election by large margins.
She was instrumental in advancing major legislation in 2023, including expanding abortion rights, legalizing recreational marijuana and mandating paid family and medical leave.
In 2024, during a partisan deadlock, Hortman led a Democratic boycott in a dispute over chamber control. Once election challenges were settled, she allowed Republican Lisa Demuth to assume the speakership.
She is survived by her two children. Her husband, Mark, was also killed in the Saturday attack.
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