One month after being assassinated in their home, we remain heartbroken and horrified by the loss of Melissa and Mark Hortman.
Melissa was our friend, our leader, and a champion for Minnesotans. Mark was by her side supporting her every step of the way. These two extraordinary people are missed by so many, and we’re so grateful to Minnesotans and the nation for your sympathy and support over the past month.
We continue to hold Melissa and Mark’s children, families, friends, and loved ones in our hearts, and we continue to keep John, Yvette, and Hope Hoffman in our thoughts as they recover and heal.
Political violence has no place in this country. We must resolve our differences peacefully, never through violence. The attacks on DFL legislators one month ago have shaken us to our core, but they have not shaken our resolve to build a state that works better for everyone. Whether it’s at the State Capitol or in our communities, we will keep serving the people of Minnesota and keep working hard to build the future that Melissa and Mark Hortman believed in.
Federal Budget Law
While the White House calls it the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” there’s nothing beautiful about slashing health care, food support, clean energy investments and removing supports from millions of Americans.
The new law makes the largest health care cut in U.S. history, slashing $900 billion from Medicaid. One in four Minnesotans rely on Medicaid, including children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families. These cuts could strip coverage from 250,000 Minnesotans and cost our state $500 million annually in lost federal funding. These cuts will threaten the stability of hospitals and nursing homes already under financial strain. The bill also defunds Planned Parenthood, a vital provider of cancer screenings, birth control, and preventive care.
It cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which more than 440,000 Minnesotans use to feed their families. With nine million food shelf visits last year alone, our hunger relief network can’t absorb these additional burdens.
Minnesota has committed to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, but this bill undercuts that effort by eliminating clean energy tax credits. As a result, our state stands to lose 13,000 jobs and $7.8 billion in green energy investment by 2030. Utility bills could rise by over 10% by 2029.
All of these cuts are to pay for $1.3 trillion in tax cuts. Meanwhile, because the vast majority of able-bodied adults receiving benefits are already working, new “work requirements” will just add unnecessary paperwork for counties and providers.
Bottom line is that this bill raises costs, reduces care, and undermines Minnesota’s future. I’ll keep you updated as we fight back.
Education Funding
Recently, the Trump Administration announced that they will be withholding a portion of federal funding that congress appropriated toward our state public schools in their last budget cycle. Minnesota stands to lose $74 million dollars in federal investments. This funding, due to our state on July 1, is dedicated to students in our schools who need academic intervention, are struggling, have disabilities, are English language learners, receive academic support after school, and are part of adult basic education in our communities.
Currently, the Minnesota Department of Education is trying to work through the Federal Department of Education to find out when they will release the funds. And thankfully, Attorney General Keith Elison has joined 22 other states’ attorneys generals in a lawsuit requiring the release of the congressionally appropriated funds. The Minnesota Reformer has an article that does a deep dive that you can read here.
New Laws Taking Effect
On July 1, our new state budget took effect, along with the majority of the new policies lawmakers enacted this past session. As with all of this year’s successful legislation, these new laws are the product of bipartisan compromise. While there are certainly components of the budget I wish did more to benefit working families, there are still plenty of new commonsense policies and investments to be proud of.
Highlights include required access to free water at ticketed events of 100 or more people, protections for children who appear in online media, and assistance for homeowners and tenants when dealing with HOAs.
Among new laws that take effect next month on Aug. 1, 2025, in Minnesota are those pertaining to restorative justice confidentiality, service dogs, and stronger DWI reform and enforcement. This information can be accessed here.
2025 MN E-Bike Rebate: Applications Open July 30
Good news! Minnesota’s e-bike rebate program returns this summer with updated income-based eligibility and disability qualifications. The application window runs July 30 at 11 a.m. through August 7 at 2 p.m.
Who qualifies: Minnesotans with 2024 income under $78K (married filing jointly), $62K (head of household), or $41K (other filers), plus individuals receiving SSDI, MA-EPD, SSI, or disability waiver services.
Requirements: Must be 15+ years old, full-year MN resident for 2023-2025, filed MN tax returns in 2023-2024, and not claimed as a dependent in 2024.
Applications open through the MN Department of Revenue’s online portal. Submit only one application per person—duplicates will be deleted. Sign up for the official rebate email list for updates.
Thank you, Hopkins!
A big thank you to all the volunteers and community members who made Raspberry Festival another success this year! It was nice having a couple kids and their partners home to celebrate!
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions or to let me know how I can help.
We continue to mourn the losses of Melissa and Mark Hortman, and their Golden Retriever Gilbert, who were killed June 14 in an unspeakable act of political violence. Speaker Hortman leaves an enormous legacy of steadfast leadership and a record of transformational results to make Minnesota work better for everyone. She was passionate about her state, her community, and particularly, her family.
This Friday, June 27, between noon and 5 p.m., Melissa and Mark Hortman, along with Gilbert, will lie in state. Members of the public are invited to come to the State Capitol Rotunda to pay their respects during that time. Melissa will be the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans to lie in state in the Capitol.
On Saturday, June 28 at 10:30 a.m., a private funeral will take place. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will livestream the services on itsYouTube channel. TPT 2 will air the funeral on TV, too.
As we honor the memories of Mark and Melissa, we also hold John, Yvette, and Hope Hoffman close in our hearts and continue to hope for their full recovery. They were also victims of an assault in their home the same morning.
If you’re able and willing, please consider contributing financially to both families during this unthinkably difficult time. Sophie and Colin Hortman lost both of their parents, and a GoFundMe supporting them as they navigate the path forward is available here.
The Fernbrook Elementary School PTO, where Yvette Hoffman serves as a support professional, has set up a GoFundMe to support her and John in their recovery.
On the Monday, after their parents were murdered, Sophie and Colin Hortman released this statement:
“We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much.
“We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy as we grieve.
“Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents’ home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.
“Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them.
“If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:
Plant a tree.
Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
“Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”
Let’s carry forward Melissa’s legacy by choosing kindness, showing care, and leading with love – for each other and for our beloved state of Minnesota.
It has taken me over a week to write these words; grief is weird that way. It is so very hard to lose a colleague and a friend. As Minnesotans, we have collectively gone through a horrific experience that no one should ever have to. Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot multiple times, and Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were brutally murdered in the early hours of the morning on June 14. Minnesota is grieving the loss of a leader, and our legislative family is grieving the loss of our friend.
I had the privilege of working with Melissa Hortman in the Minnesota House as a colleague, as minority leader, as Speaker, and finally as Speaker Emeritus. She was a brilliant negotiator, knew how to build a team, had a wicked sense of humor, loved to garden and bake cakes, was dedicated to the well-being of all Minnesotans, and clearly loved her family.
While she was a private person, Melissa still talked with pride about her children Sophie and Colin. My heart breaks at the loss that they have experienced, especially in such a public way. It was also very clear that Melissa loved her husband, Mark. Mark was at countless political events supporting Melissa. He was always quick to strike up a conversation, was a wonderful listener, and so very proud of his family. I remember an event I was at alone and Mark noticed that I was standing off to the side of the action. He came over, introduced himself, and asked how my family was doing and what legislation I was working on. He adapted to any situation with ease.
Melissa led our DFL caucus through many changes with tenacity and grace. She had an innate ability to see a person’s skill set and help them grow in their leadership capacity. While Melissa did not seek the limelight, she was able to rise to the occasion with humor and the ability to convey a message that reflected the heart of our caucus. As someone who personally appreciates a well-placed expletive, I loved her ability to get straight to the point. Melissa was a force of nature whether it was proclaiming “sorry, not sorry” on the House floor in reaction to colleagues playing cards in the retiring room instead of listening to a poignant floor debate or responding “LFG” to the press who asked “what’s next” when the DFL won the trifecta in November of 2022.
Melissa was an incredible advocate for vulnerable Minnesotans and was always willing to stand side-by-side with her colleagues to cause “good trouble.”
She left Minnesota a better place because of the work she did and because of who she was. I thank the Hortman family for sharing her with us. Her spirit will be our North Star for a very long time.
I continue to do the work for the people in our communities of Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina – please do not hesitate to reach out if you need assistance or help with our state government. Email is the quickest way to get in touch and I am available at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or via phone at 651-296-9889.
Yesterday, the Minnesota Legislature convened a special session and completed its work of balancing the state budget for the next two years. We also passed the first capital investment bill since 2023, which will lead to improvements in roads, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, and state assets across Minnesota while creating thousands of good-paying jobs.
Photo: House Photography
Information about the bills passed during the special session, including bill language and spreadsheets, can be found here.
In the first session of divided government since 2022, DFLers successfully blocked efforts to roll back laws that help to make Minnesota a great place to live, work, and raise a family, including Paid Family and Medical Leave, universal school meals, and reproductive freedom, and nearly every single DFL accomplishment from the 2023-2024 session remains in effect.
As the House Education Finance Committee Co-Chair, I am particularly proud of the fact that we defended indexing the general education formula to inflation. It provides a stable funding stream as districts set their budgets and guarantees at least a 2% increase to the general education formula each year.
There were also difficult compromises that we had to make to balance the state budget for the next two years while keeping an eye on the future during these unpredictable economic times. I do wish we could have found a way to increase revenue so we did not have to make cuts to education or health care.
We’ll do a deep dive on the work of 2025 at one of my end of session town hall meetings I’m hosting in Edina and St. Louis Park. Here are the details of those events:
Edina Delegation Legislative Town Hall Tuesday, June 24th, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Edina Community Lutheran Church, 4113 W. 54th Street, Edina
District 46 Session Wrap-Up Town Hall Wednesday, June 25th, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Park City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416
I hope to see you at the end of the month! Although the interim has arrived, the work doesn’t stop. I’m always happy to connect with constituents and hear what’s on your mind. Please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889.
Since May 19th, the House has been preparing to enter a special session. Working groups, comprised of House and Senate members, have been meeting almost daily to iron out differences in the bills that made it off of their respective floors and were too late to have traditional conference committees.
Rep. Ron Kresha and I share the gavel as House Education Finance Co-Chairs, and we have worked almost every day since adjournment of the regular session to negotiate with the Senate Education Finance Chair Senator Kunesh in order to wrap up the education budget. As chairs, we also spent some quality time in negotiations with our larger working group that consisted of Rep. Sydney Jordan (Co-Chair of House Education Policy), Rep. Mary Frances Clardy, Rep. Patricia Mueller, and Rep. Ben Bakeberg, Senator Steve Cwodinski (Chair of Senate Education Policy), Senator Heather Gustafson, Senator Erin Maye Quade, and Senator Jason Rarick. We were tasked with funding a two-year state budget for our K-12 schools with a $0 increase in 2026-2027 and to reduce investments in the amount of $420 million for the forecasted budget years of 2028-2029.
While the final product was not one any of our caucuses would have written alone, it reflects the nature of a tied House and a one seat DFL majority in the Senate. We had to make difficult decision on cuts to stay within the negative budget target that we were given. We tried to keep a majority of those cuts out of the classroom, but unfortunately, raising revenue wasn’t an option by my colleagues across the aisle. But, we were able to protect some of our progress from last session. Most notably, the bill maintains eligibility for Unemployment Insurance for our valuable hourly school workers, universal meals for our students, and retains the link between the general education formula and inflation that provides some stability to our schools. This is especially important during the current uncertain economic times.
I am pleased to share that a compromise was reached and we will rolled out the legislation today at a public hearing at 1:00 p.m. You can watch the recording here.
The next steps are to wait for a special session to be called and then vote to get the compromise bill across the finish line. You can see the budget spreadsheets and bill language here. Thank you for staying engaged—I’ll keep you updated as we return to set the remainder of the two-year budget for the state of Minnesota.
Small Business Support with Elevate Hennepin
If you’re an entrepreneur looking to take your business to the next level, I encourage you to explore what Elevate Hennepin has to offer. They provide professional resources and connect you with expert advisors—all at no cost to participants. This kind of investment in our local business community is exactly what helps make west metro communities and our broader district such a vibrant place to live and work. I’ll continue advocating for policies and programs that help local businesses thrive.
Summer Farmers Markets & Events
Summer is here and with the new month comes another season of farmers markets and fun citywide events. Find a location most convenient to you by reviewing the dates and times of the Hopkins Farmers Market website and Edina Farmers Market website. The city websites also have calendars posted online sharing information about special events and gatherings. It’s one of the best times of the year and I’m looking forward to a summer filled with community engagement and neighborhood gatherings.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions, input, or to let me know if I can provide assistance.
With four days to go in the 2025 session, legislative leaders and Governor Walz announced a budget agreement yesterday that would balance the budget for the 2026-27 biennium and erase 90% of the deficit projected for the 2028-29 biennium. Now that we have this financial roadmap solidified, conference committees can tie up loose ends and pass final budget bills to be sent to the governor.
Amid federal chaos and dysfunction at the White House, Minnesotans expect their elected leaders to work together, especially in times of divided government. By negotiating a bipartisan budget deal to conclude the work at the state level, Minnesota is demonstrating that governing is still possible even when we have major disagreements.
Don’t get me wrong; there are definitely things I’m not happy about in this agreement. If we were in charge, this budget deal would look a lot different. I would do a lot more to lower the cost of living for Minnesotans who just want to be able to afford a home, put food on the table, and take care of their family.
For my part, as the House Education Finance Co-Chair, I have been focused on getting a K-12 Education Finance bill across the finish line for the schools in our communities of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, and Edina, as well as schools across the state. We passed our the K-12 Education Finance bill off of the House floor this evening and will be working through the weekend to iron out the differences between our bill and the Senate Education Finance bill.
Floor Action
This week, as conference committees met while leaders negotiated a deal, we passed a few pieces of legislation off the House Floor. We passed the Health Policy bill, which expands the scope of practice for optometrists, allows newborns to be surrendered to some fire stations, removes a barrier to physician assistants to practice, and creates a path for nonprofit health care organizations to get capital funding.
We also passed a bill that would replace the statue of Henry Mower Rice in the U.S. Capitol with a statue of Hubert H. Humphrey upon approval by the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress. The Humphrey statue would match what is currently on the Capitol Complex in St. Paul. Another measure we passed this week is the Claims bill, in which a Joint House-Senate Subcommittee on Claims decides which claims against the state should be funded.
City Declares May 16th Paige Bueckers Day in Hopkins
Today, the City of Hopkins proudly declared May 16th as Paige Bueckers Day!
As someone who’s followed Paige’s career since watching her play in 8th grade, this moment feels especially meaningful. It’s been incredible to witness her journey, and now celebrating her success in the community that raised her creates a perfect full-circle moment.
Keep in Touch
We’re continuing our work through the weekend. Please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions or input.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors at the State Capitol.
Recent Comments