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Minnesota lawmakers honor Melissa Hortman
On a day that marks the beginning of the legislative session, politicians on both sides spent time honoring the life of former speaker of the House Melissa Hortman.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A champion of many causes during her time in the Minnesota Legislature, former speaker Melissa Hortman could become the namesake of Minnesota’s community solar garden program.
Melissa Hortman solar garden program
What we know:
As chair of the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee when she was a representative of the House at the time, Hortman promoted the state’s community solar garden program as an alternative way for Minnesotans to meet their energy demands.
Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL-Minnetonka) now sponsors HF 3556, which, if approved, would rename the state’s program as the "Melissa Hortman Community Solar Garden Program."
The bipartisan proposal currently has more than 30 lawmakers signed on to support the measure.
Dig deeper:
A community solar garden, or CSG, allows a subscriber to participate in a solar energy system along with others, who then share the electricity generated by the project as a credit on their electric bill.
Supporters of CSGs tout benefits such as predictable electricity rates, potential utility bill savings and increasing renewable energy resources.
Big picture view:
Other memorial dedications to Hortman are currently making their way through the Minnesota Legislature this session, including a proposal to rename Highway 610 as the "Hortman Memorial Highway."
What they're saying:
"This [bill] is a small way of showing her vision, her leadership and her public impact," Acomb said during the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee prior to its passing.
What's next:
Approved by the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee on Tuesday, the bill now heads to the House Floor for a final vote. It would still need to pass the Minnesota Senate, and be signed by Gov. Walz, before ultimately adopted.
Minnesota lawmaker shootings
The backstory:
Rep. Hortman and her husband Mark, along with their dog, were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home on June 14, 2025.
Shortly after, Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were also injured in their Champlin home.
The suspect, Vance Boelter, also went to two other Democratic lawmakers' homes that night disguised as a police officer during the attack.
At the Hortman home, authorities say they confronted Boelter and exchanged gunfire with him, forcing him to flee on foot and leave behind his vehicle, which resembled a police cruiser.
In the aftermath, Boelter was indicted on six counts, including murder. He has since entered a not guilty plea to all charges against him, but could potentially be sentenced to the death penalty if convicted.
Minnesota lawmakers have since sought increased security measures around the state capital complex for upcoming legislative sessions.
The Source: FOX 9 reporting from the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee on March 3, 2026.