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‘The firsts are hard’: Lawmakers head into first session without Melissa Hortman

On Tuesday, Feb. 17, the session opened at the Minnesota State Capitol with memorials for Melissa Hortman, including flowers outside the House chamber.
In response to the June 14, 2025 violence, Capitol officials closed west doors to the public and added weapons detectors after the assassinations and attempts.
On Thursday morning, Feb. 12, lawmakers gathered for the pension breakfast, where Melissa Hortman’s desk in the House chamber stayed covered with photos and flowers, and the public left notes at the memorial outside the chamber.
Lawmakers said the session’s early events felt like difficult 'firsts' without Hortman, describing the 2024 budget vote as the source of false theories and urging calmer rhetoric to prevent political violence.
Lawmakers propose honors for Hortman, including naming buildings or planting trees, amid heightened emotions due to June 14 and other recent incidents later this year.

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Will this be the most unproductive Minnesota legislative session ever?

The Minnesota State Capitol. The 2026 session begins Tuesday, Feb. 17. (Photo by Glen Stubbe/Minnesota Reformer)Minnesota lawmakers on Tuesday will gavel in for the 2026 legislative session’s first day, which will be dedicated to the late-Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband who were assassinated last summer. Republican and Democratic-Farmer-Labor elected officials will share memories of the former House speaker and then gather for a reception t…

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