MINNESOTA – Today we lay to rest two incredible Minnesotans who we lost too soon. While I was able to meet with the family and join thousands of Minnesotans at the Capitol yesterday to pay my respect, potential votes later today and the gravity of the budget bill before the Senate do not allow me to attend the funeral in person. My husband John will be there and I will be watching the service by live stream. My statement:

“I join the state and the country in honoring our beloved friends Melissa and Mark Hortman. In speaking with their children Sophie and Colin yesterday at the Minnesota Capitol, I know that Melissa and Mark’s legacy of goodness and service to others is in the best of hands. 

“Between the two of them, Melissa and Mark represented the best of leadership and citizenship. They met as volunteers working to help kids, and that dedication to serving others never wavered. Because of Melissa’s tenacity as a legislator, Minnesota kids get free school lunch, Minnesota parents will get paid leave to care for their newborns, and our state is on track to achieve 100% clean energy. Mark’s friends knew him for his love of nature and of trying new things. Whether he was repairing cars, brewing beers, or woodworking, it was clear he enjoyed building things and making them better. Melissa and Mark had no greater joy in their lives than their two children, who loved them fiercely.

“Sophie and Colin said that the best way to honor their parents is 'to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.’ I can think of no better way to honor Melissa and Mark.”

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