Gov. Walz, Minnesota lawmakers honor Rep. Melissa Hortman on House floor

Melissa and Mark Hortman honored on MN House floor

Minnesota lawmakers remembered late Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman after she was killed in an act of political violence last summer.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The 2026 Minnesota legislative session kicks off at noon on Tuesday, with the House and Senate slated to honor Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were assassinated last year. 

Watch live coverage of the first day of the legislative session in the player above, and additional coverage in the player below.

Gov. Walz honors Melissa Hortman on House floor

Gov. Walz issued a touching tribute to late Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband during a tribute on the Minnesota House floor during as the House gaveled into session on Tuesday.

Honoring the Hortmans

Local perspective:

The House and Senate both gaveled into session at noon on Tuesday for brief sessions. On the Senate floor, Sen. John Hofman, who was wounded in the same series of attacks that left the Hortmans dead, gave a stirring speech as he returned to the capitol for the first time since he was wounded last summer.

In the House, after going into recess from official business, a joint resolution honoring the Hortmans was read by members of the House and Senate. Then Gov. Tim Walz, Senate Majority Leader Murphy, House Speaker Demuth and House DFL Leader Stephenson all offered remarks remembering Rep. Hortman.

The backstory:

The ceremony comes eight months after the Hortmans were shot and killed in a politically motivated attack at the couple's home.  Sen. Hoffman and his wife were shot numerous times but survived the assassination attempt. 

The plot to kill the lawmakers has led to stepped up security at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul. 

Gov. Walz, Speaker Demuth remember Rep. Hortman

What they're saying:

Gov. Walz remembered Hortman as a loyal public servant and someone who could keep him in check.

"If I would start going on a partisan rant, it was Speaker Hortman who would many times redirect that to ‘what is your goal, governor, to get done here? Because it’s certainly not the rant. It needs to be something else. And is this going to get us any closer to where you're trying to go?' That’s wisdom. That’s experience, that’s decency, that’s leadership."

Despite working across the aisle from Rep. Hortman, Speaker Demuth remembered Rep. Hortman as someone not afraid to bridge partisan gaps.

"We built a relationship that was rooted in respect," recalled Demuth. "Through tough negotiations and heated debattes, Melissa and I could always look across the table and know that regardless of our differences, we both wanted what was going to be best for Minnesota."

"Her persistence, her strength of will – those were defining aspects of Melissa Hortman," concluded Rep. Zack Stephenson. "But make no mistake, her persistence wasn't about ambition. It was about service."

It could be a sharply divided session

MN Legislature gavels in Tuesday: What to expect

The 2026 Minnesota Legislative Session kicks off at noon on Tuesday, with the House and Senate slated to honor Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were assassinated last year. 

Why you should care:

For the second year in a row, both chambers have razor-thin margins when it comes to party membership. In the Senate, the DFL holds a narrow one-seat advantage, 34-33. In the House, it's tied 67-67, so the power-sharing agreement from last year will remain in effect, making Republican Lisa Demuth the speaker of the House. 

Passing a bonding bill is the most important item on lawmakers' to-do list this year. But in the wake of Operation Metro Surge, there are at least a half-dozen bills ready to go focused on limiting where ICE agents can go and the tactics they can use. 

With the House and Senate so evenly divided, lawmakers say bipartisan bills will have the best shot at passing this year, so they're hoping for both cooperation and compromise. 

DFL, GOP priorities

Dig deeper:

Republican priorities include addressing fraud prevention and creating an Office of Inspector General. They also want more tax cuts, and a task force to understand why property taxes are so high. 

Meanwhile, Democrats on Monday condemned what they call an "abuse of power" by President Donald Trump. They say his administration's immigration crackdown has violated the constitutional rights of Minnesotans. They are proposing several bills to increase transparency in ICE operations and urge Republicans to support the measures. 

The session begins at noon on Tuesday and runs until May 18, giving lawmakers 90 days to get all their work done. 

ICE enforcement, fraud among big topics to start 2026 legislative session

The 2026 Minnesota legislative session starts Tuesday at the State Capitol, and two big topics likely to drum up a lot of discussion are ICE enforcement and ongoing fraud in the state. FOX 9's Tim Blotz has more.