June 18, 2025
The MMA is mourning the assassination of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and her husband, as well as the shootings of Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and his wife this past weekend.
Speaker Hortman worked regularly with the MMA’s advocacy team over the years to pass pro-medicine legislation. “Like many have said over the last few days, it is hard to express feelings following these shootings,” said Dave Renner, CAE, MMA director of advocacy. “Speaker Hortman was not just a remarkable legislative leader; she was a good person. She treated all with respect even if she disagreed with your position.”
Hortman was first elected to the House in 2004. She served one term as a member of the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee in 2013-2014. She became speaker in 2019.
“Interacting with Speaker Hortman both at the Capitol and on the campaign trail was routinely a pleasure,” said Chad Fahning, MMA manager of state legislative affairs. “You could not design a more effective lawmaker, nor a kinder one.”
As of this publication, Hoffman and his wife are recovering from their gunshot wounds.
“Sen. Hoffman has been an active, passionate member in the health and human services arena since first being elected in 2012,” Renner said. “He is one of the strongest advocates in the Senate for the disability community.”
Hoffman served as a member of the Senate Health, Human Services and Housing Committee in his first term and has been a member of the Human Services Committee since 2017, chairing that committee starting in 2023. It has been reported that one of his motivating factors to get into politics was that his daughter was born with spina bifida.
“I’ve had to go to his office more than a few times to share concerns with legislation he was pushing,” Fahning said. “Sen. Hoffman is oftentimes stubborn when challenged, but he always wrapped up those meetings making sure I knew nothing was personal and that a difference in opinion should be nothing more than just that. I think we could use more of that attitude in the world today.”
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