Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and State Senator John Hoffman are my legislators. On the morning of June 14, a right-wing extremist assassinated Melissa Hortman and her husband. John Hoffman and his wife were shot multiple times in an attempt on their lives; their prognosis is guardedly positive.

I’ve spoken and worked with Melissa and John often over the years, and I always respected their intellect, passion, and basic human decency. I went to Melissa’s house to phone bank for candidates, or to pick up flyers to take door knocking for her. I talked to her many times about policy issues, though it’s not clear to me that I ever taught her anything she didn’t already know. Her biggest passion may have been the environment, and I often wondered that if she had not been Speaker of the House, President Biden might have appointed her to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

I first met John in 2012, when my wife and I held a fundraiser at our home in opposition to a ballot measure that would have banned same-sex marriage. He was then running for his first term in the state Senate, but he didn’t come to campaign—he just wanted to support the cause.

Dave Kamper pictured with Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman.

When I worked for a Minnesota union, John would always drop whatever he was doing to talk to union members I would bring by his Senate office. He would listen with great interest as they talked about their jobs, and he genuinely wanted to understand how proposed policies and legislation would affect their real lives and work.

Melissa, John, and their spouses were shot at a time of increasing right-wing violence. But they’re not just exhibits on a list. Melissa and John played pivotal roles in enacting the kinds of state policies we work on and support here at EPI.

In the spring of 2023, Melissa Hortman helped lead Minnesota through perhaps the most productive legislative session any state has seen in years. The legislature codified Minnesotan’s rights to abortion access and reproductive care. They made school meals free and expanded unemployment insurance access for school support staff in the summer. They required utilities offer carbon-free electricity by 2040. They banned anti-union “captive audience” meetings. They passed a paid family and medical leave bill and an earned sick and safe time bill. They made Minnesota a safe haven for LGBTQ people. They expanded driver’s license access to residents regardless of citizenship status. They legalized cannabis. They expanded tenant protections, passed gun safety reforms, and provided grants for schools to purchase electric buses.

While Speaker Hortman guided these policies through the House, John Hoffman proved the deciding vote again and again in the Senate. Without him, none of it would have been possible.

As a Minnesotan, I took great pride in my state’s accomplishments in 2023. I remember seeing John after the legislative session and sharing a hug with him, congratulating him on all they had done. I saw Speaker Hortman at the same event, but she was constantly surrounded by admirers, and I didn’t feel bold enough to break through the pack and tell her how proud I was that she was my representative. I wish I had.

We at EPI believe that policy matters. Politicians can shape policies that make life better for working families. Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman together helped prove it to be true.