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Dear Neighbors,

The past few days have been heavy. As you likely know by now, Melissa Hortman, our DFL leader and Speaker Emerita, was assassinated along with her husband Mark early Saturday morning. Other legislators were also targeted, including Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who are thankfully recovering from gunshot wounds.

I struggle to write what happened to them. I’m struck by the intensity of that verb. This shouldn’t happen in Minnesota or in our country. Political violence has NO home here.

While I am relieved that the suspect is in custody and there are certainly policy solutions to be considered to prevent such an attack in the future, right now we must take time to mourn, to grieve, and to celebrate the wonderful people that were Melissa and Mark Hortman.

I admittedly did not know Mark well personally. In connecting with colleagues, I’ve learned that Mark was witty and so loving towards his family, he was into tech, and he and Melissa met one another while volunteering (just picture that “meet cute”). Melissa, of course, was a long-time state legislator. It took her 3 tries to get elected.  But as I learned, she did not like to lose.

Melissa used her position as Speaker of the House and DFL Leader to stand up for what’s right; she believed fiercely in justice and equity. One of the first times she came on my radar was in 2017 when she went viral [ [link removed] ] criticizing colleagues playing cards in the retiring room while female legislators of color delivered speeches on the floor. Melissa believed in sustainability and resilience. She is the mother of the Community Solar Garden program, which is now closing in on 1 GW of solar power capacity. This accelerated solar adoption in the state, which helped to make the 100% Carbon-Free Electricity law possible. And she believed in building a thriving state, a place that values people at every level of the income spectrum. She wanted all workers to benefit from earned sick and safe time, paid leave for medical or family needs and from non-compete bans. She lived through government shutdowns and knew the toll they took on Minnesotans. Melissa was the reason we avoided one in 2025.

Those recent accomplishments were possible because she built the DFL House caucus into the team it is today. She was the most respected person at the Capitol; respect that was earned through her commitment to her values, her humility, her kindness, and her blunt wit. A colleague, Rep. Peter Fischer, helped me find the words to describe her leadership: she was a servant leader. She didn’t lecture at the front of the room and tell us how things were about to go. She consulted us, adjusted plans, and reflected our input back to us. She’d be the first person to tell you if your policy idea stunk. But you knew that she considered what you had to say and would find a way to incorporate what was important to you going forward. Her brilliance could be intimidating. After losing an important policy provision the day before special session, I was worried she wouldn’t want to deal with my “small” problem. But when I called, she picked up the phone and was ready to talk, process, and plan as long as I needed to. Serving the members of our caucus was a priority for her, and it gave us strength. And in this tied House, she took the impossible votes, so that we would not have to.

Thank you to so many people who have reached out. We’re collectively grieving the loss of a friend, a servant leader, a humble giant in Minnesota politics. While we all grieve in different ways, I’ve found solace in being with people. I welcome you to join the public vigil [ [link removed] ] at the Capitol tomorrow, June 18 at 8:00 p.m.

Vigil graphic

I also plan to still hold my planned Hennepin Happy Hour at Spyhouse (2404 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55405) at 10 a.m. this Friday.

Be well,

Katie Jones
State Representative 






State Representative Katie Jones

5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155

Phone: 651-296-9281
Email: [email protected] (replies to this newsletter are not monitored).
Website [ [link removed] ]
Legislative Assistant: Taylor Her 651-297-8195







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