Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman was taken from us by the kind of political violence that is becoming all too common—violence that doesn’t just hurt individuals, but threatens the integrity of our institutions and the safety of public leadership. Her loss is profound. But her impact didn’t end with her passing. It continues in the work she led, the people she stood with, and the values she fought for.

Melissa was not just a legislator. She was a builder of futures….