GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Medicaid cuts loom for hundreds of thousands of Midwesterners in 'big, beautiful bill'

Peyton Haug — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:50:47 GMT

BISMARCK — Under the “big, beautiful bill” being championed by President Donald Trump and a Republican-dominated Congress, hundreds of thousands of Midwesterners are slated to lose access to health care coverage over the next decade as part of a greater effort to cut taxes and reduce federal spending.

Medicaid administrators and providers, from state health departments to clinics, are scrambling to determine the exact number of people who will be impacted by the sweeping changes.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates between 12 million and 17 million Americans will lose health insurance over the next decade under the legislation as it stands. The Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, is a nonpartisan group that works to inform Congress and its actions.

Program recipients are expected to experience increased copays, paperwork and work requirements, while program administrators would see fewer federal dollars funneled into states to be used by hospitals and clinics.

The major switch-ups

Beginning January 2027, "able-bodied" Medicaid recipients between the ages of 19 and 64 who have no dependents would be required to work 80 hours monthly if the bill passes into law.

Those with incomes between 100% and 138% of the federal poverty level would be asked to foot copays costing up to 5% of household earnings beginning January 2028, according to the CBO.

Medicaid recipients would also have to reapply for the program semiannually, twice as often as what's currently required.

The bill further prohibits Medicaid coverage that reduces premium costs for migrants who are lawfully present in the U.S., which extends to trafficking survivors, refugees and those seeking asylum. The rule would not apply to green card holders.

On the state and local levels, Republican and Democratic leaders are drawing their approval of the changes to Medicaid along party lines.

Republicans generally say the cuts will eliminate fraud within the system and preserve its services. Meanwhile, Democrats decry the cuts, claiming they will lead to more debt and negatively impact low-income Americans, especially the elderly and those with disabilities.

North Dakota

Of the approximately 105,000 North Dakotans on Medicaid, an estimated 18%, or 18,900, wouldn’t be enrolled by 2034 because of the changes, according to an analysis by the state Legislative Council.

The state would lose approximately $1.42 billion, or 12%, of its federal Medicaid dollars over the next decade, the analysis further found — a loss largely due to the mandatory work requirement.

That money is designed to cover medical costs for low-income adults, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities.

North Dakota’s Department of Health and Human Services told Forum News Service it cannot "speculate the potential impacts” of the legislation, but said it’s “closely monitoring” the situation.

The state's Hospital Association shared a similar sentiment.

Tim Blasl, the organization's director, pointed to the CBO's estimate and said the number sounds slightly inflated, but added that "it's too early to tell," and "any cuts to coverage are concerning."

"If people don't have coverage, they don't get their preventative care and regular wellness checks. Then, you have hospitals and physicians that aren't getting paid for the services," he said.

In a Wednesday, July 2, press conference, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said increasing Medicaid requirements will make the system "more sustainable" and stronger for the people who need it most.

He also pointed to $50 billion in subsidies for rural hospitals in the bill, saying the changes to Medicaid will only benefit the state.

The $50 billion allocation is intended to increase services provided in rural clinics and hospitals. It would be disbursed over the next five years as part of the "Rural Transformation Program," according to the bill.

Minnesota

Approximately 1 in 5, or 1.3 million, Minnesotans depend on Medicaid services. Under the bill, 253,000 could lose coverage over the next decade, and the state would miss out on up to $500 million in federal dollars for the program annually, according to the state’s health department.

The Minnesota Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

"Our organization, or any of our rural partners, are on small margins," Madison Health Care Services CEO Erik Bjerke said in a message shared by the Minnesota Hospital Association. "Any cuts to Medicaid will be detrimental in any of our areas, from the clinic to our hospital, and especially on our long-term care side."

In a Tuesday press release, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., said, "What Republicans did here is simple: they voted to kick 16 million people off health insurance while giving massive tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, and managed to still raise the debt by a staggering $5 trillion."

South Dakota

Fewer individuals in South Dakota would be impacted by changes to Medicaid compared to North Dakota and Minnesota, but an analysis from the nonpartisan health policy group KFF determined around 13,000 of the approximately 115,000 South Dakotans who use Medicaid would lose coverage by 2034.

Overall, the state would lose between $780 million and $1 billion, or an average 11%, of its federal funding for the program over the next decade.

South Dakota’s Health Department said it’s “unable to comment at this time” about the impacts on the state's Medicaid recipients.

In his statement celebrating the Senate's passage of the bill, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., did not acknowledge changes to Medicaid or impacts to health care. He emphasized economic impacts to the state and said the bill "puts even more money in the pockets of South Dakota families" through changes to tax policy.

South Dakota Democratic Party Chair Shane Merrill said the bill "targets our most valuable citizens, robbing them of their health insurance, taking food off the table, increasing energy bills, and killing good-paying jobs."

What's next?

Both chambers of Congress passed the bill by a one-vote margin. In May, the House of Representatives voted 215-214 to approve it. After undergoing changes in the Senate, the bill advanced in that chamber on a 51-50 vote Tuesday, with Vice President J.D. Vance as the tie-breaking vote.

The House took up the altered version of the bill Wednesday. If it receives approval there, it will head to Trump's desk. The president has made his eagerness to sign the bill into law clear.

Lawmakers have a goal of passing the bill by July 4.

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Child influencer protections, motorcycle lane splits and more: New laws taking effect July 1 in Minnesota

Mary Murphy — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:35:07 GMT

ST. PAUL — Tuesday marks a wide range of new laws going into effect in Minnesota, from allowing motorcycles to filter and lane split in traffic to ensuring minors are compensated for online content involving them.

Lane splitting and filtering

Motorcyclists will now be able to move between vehicles in traffic jams or slow-moving traffic under new lane filtering and splitting laws.

Lane splitting — maneuvering between lanes of moving traffic — and lane filtering — maneuvering between lanes of unmoving traffic — are now allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction.

A motorcycle can now legally lane split by passing another moving vehicle at no more than 25 miles per hour and no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic. Motorcyclists can legally lane filter by moving through stopped traffic at no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant traffic lanes.

Lane splitting and lane filtering will not be permitted in drive-throughs, roundabout exits, school zones, work zones with single-lane travel and on-ramps to a freeway or expressway, as those areas are exempt under the new law.

Minors and content creation

New laws aimed at protecting child influencers will take effect Tuesday. The changes include requiring content creators who earn money from videos involving minors to set aside earnings for the minors in trust accounts.

The law applies to creators who feature minors in at least 30% of the content from the creator. Minors can also request that content about themselves be deleted after the age of 13.

Free water at large venues

Entertainment venues hosting 100 or more ticketed attendees must provide free water and allow sealed or empty bottles inside the venue. Venues will not be required to allow water in an exhibit, gallery or presentation space where beverages are prohibited as long as water is available outside the space.

Anti-Fraud measures

Though several anti-fraud measures failed to pass in the 2025 session, including establishing a state-wide Office of Inspector General, a few passed, including: allowing state agencies to withhold funds for up to 60 days from suspected fraudulent claimants, enhanced whistleblower protections and allowing government entities to disclose data relating to suspected or confirmed fraud, except where a provision of law specifically prohibits it.

Boating permits

Permits will now be required for people under 21 operating a boat, with the mandate expanding by age over time. By July 1, 2026, the permit requirement will expand to residents 26 and younger. In 2027, it will include anyone 31 or younger, and by 2028, all boaters 41 and younger will need a permit.

State symbols

Minnesota will adopt two new state symbols: the giant beaver as its state fossil and Ursa Minor as its state constellation.

Education

�� districts can now begin the school year on or after Labor Day for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years. Previously, schools were only allowed to start after Labor Day. The bill this session faced some pushback from the hospitality industry, which said the change could affect resort owners in the state who profit from the holiday weekend.

In an effort to address teacher shortages, the short-call emergency substitute teacher pilot program is now permanent. An emergency short-call substitute license can replace the same teacher or vacancy for up to 10 consecutive days.

Homeowners association mediator

A new common interest community ombudsperson position will be created within the Department of Commerce to assist unit owners, tenants and associations in understanding their rights and assisting in disputes between unit owners and homeowners associations. The Commerce budget set aside $350,000 a year for the new role.

The position comes after a bill to rein in HOAs across the state passed the Senate but stalled in the House. Original pitches from lawmakers included limiting fees imposed by HOAs and new foreclosure guardrails.

State budget

The full state budget for fiscal years 2026-27, coming in at $67 billion, takes effect this month. With an impending $6 billion budget deficit, lawmakers made steep cuts from the previous $72 billion state budget: $5 billion from the last biennium and $2 billion in net cuts. The highest cuts came in for human services, at $300 million.

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Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman, husband remembered for humility, humanity

Catharine Richert, Peter Cox and Clay Masters / MPR News — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 19:30:00 GMT

Hundreds of mourners, including former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, came to the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis on Saturday to remember former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, following a day when thousands of people paid their respects at a Capitol tribute.

The Hortmans were eulogized as warm, caring people who were the same whether they were at the Capitol or at their home in Brooklyn Park, talking dogs, baking, kids and politics.

“Melissa Hortman will be remembered as the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history. I know that millions of Minnesotans will get to live better lives because she and Mark chose public service,” said Gov. Tim Walz.

“More kids in pre-K, fewer in poverty. More schools with the tools and teachers they need, fewer with hungry students. More trees in the ground and clean energy coursing through the grid, fewer roads and bridges at risk of failure. More people in safe and secure housing, fewer worrying about how to manage caring for their loved ones,” he added. “That’s the legacy Mark and Melissa will leave behind for all Minnesotans.”

Walz described politicians as “just a bunch of human beings trying to do the best they can. Melissa understood that better than anybody I knew. She saw the humanity in every single person she worked with, and she kept things focused on the people she served.”

Longtime family friend Robin Ann Williams remembered the Hortmans as easygoing people — “the easiest friendships you could have” — who downplayed the trappings of political power.

She recalled asking Mark about the couple’s last White House visit in December, a holiday reception for state legislators. “Mark honed in on the important stuff and told us that the Christmas cookies at the White House were excellent,” she said.

Their kitchen, remodeled over the past couple of years, was the gathering place for the Hortmans and all who came to visit. Williams drew a laugh from the church when she said Melissa Hortman agonized over what shade of beige to paint it and whether it would clash with the beige in the mud room.

They couldn’t have been further apart in music, she said, noting Mark was a Led Zepplin guy and Melissa loved ABBA, but they made it work.

To the Hortmans’ children, Sophie and Colin, Williams said: “I know you've heard it countless times since June 14, but your parents adored you and we're proud of you. You've always carried yourselves well, and your dignity and grace over the last two weeks has been tremendous. The apples did not fall far from the trees.”

Williams recalled district door-knocking with Melissa during her first run for the Legislature. She would tell prospective voters where she disagreed with them, but those conversations were always civil and ended genially.

“We are buried in sorrow right now,” she told mourners. “But I do believe that we will experience joy again, and Mark and Melissa would not want it any other way.”

‘Ground zero’ for healing

The eulogies followed a mass where the Rev. Daniel Griffith, pastor of the Basilica of St. Mary, told mourners the Hortmans “lived lives with purpose and meaning, lives lived in service of others, in community with those they loved, their family and their friends.”

In his homily, Griffith said Minnesota had been “ground zero” for racial injustice in 2020 with the police killing of George Floyd a few miles from the church, “and now we are the ground zero place for political violence and extremism. Both of these must be decried in the strongest possible terms as they are, respectively, a threat to human dignity and indeed our democracy.”

Despite the violence, he said Minnesota “can be a ground zero place for restoration and justice and healing, but we must work together and there is much more work to be done.”

Melissa Hortman, he added, kept in her purse a worn copy of St. Francis of Assisi's Prayer for Peace that implores God to “make me an instrument of your peace.” Her mother had discovered it, he added. “I think that's a wonderful thing … all of us are called to be instruments of peace.”

The Hortmans’ caskets arrived just after 7 a.m., carried into the church by seven uniformed conservation officers for Melissa and seven state troopers for Mark.

After the ceremony, funeral attendees hugged and wiped away tears as the Hortmans’ caskets were carried down the stairs and placed in two white hearses.

Walz presented an American flag and a Minnesota flag to Colin and Sophie Hortman. The flags flew atop the Capitol on June 14, the day their parents were killed.

The basilica bells tolled, dulling the noise of passing traffic. A State Patrol helicopter flew overhead before the Hortmans’ remains were driven away to a nearby mortuary. The family plans to hold a private burial at a later date.

‘A public servant’

The service came two weeks after Melissa, 55, and Mark, 58, were shot and killed in their home by a man authorities say posed as a police officer and who is accused of targeting multiple lawmakers he disagreed with. The man faces state and federal murder charges in the Hortman slaying and for wounding DFL state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

The funeral follows a day of remembrance for the Hortmans. In addition to Walz and Biden, thousands filed past the casket throughout the afternoon after waiting in a line that snaked around the Capitol much of the day.

Biden made a brief visit to the Minnesota Capitol on Friday, where the Hortmans had lain in state along with their dog Gilbert, a golden retriever who died from the shooting at the family home.

Many of those lawmakers who served with Melissa Hortman served as greeters for the public, offering hugs and stories of the late leader or a shoulder to cry on.

A sprawling memorial continued to grow outside the entrance to the House chamber. It has Post-it notes addressed to the Hortmans, flowers, campaign memorabilia, photos of the couple and dog treats.

Some in the line outside the Capitol had met the Hortmans through their work and personal lives. Others waited for hours to pay respects to people they had never met.

Dick Ottman was among them.

“This lady has done an awful lot for the state of Minnesota; she’s demonstrated something that is very good in public service. She’s demonstrated to be a public servant. She isn't in it, and wasn't in it for just glory or for money,” Ottman said. “She wanted to make the world a better place. Those kind of people deserve our respect.”

Brianna Haloran came from St. Cloud with her three kids, who each held a red rose. Haloran said Hortman’s legacy of championing policies like free school lunch and paid family and medical leave has had an impact on her family.

She said she wanted her kids “to recognize that there’s always someone behind the scenes working for Minnesotans, and we want to honor that today.”

Former state Rep. Jennifer Schultz, a Democrat from Duluth, waited in line to pay her respects with a bouquet of flowers in hand. She said she fears the shooting could put a damper on public service for would-be candidates.

“A lot of people don’t want to run, not just because of threats, but just because of the chaos and the polarization and really the disrespect of working in government because so, so, so many people have put forward this negative view of government,” Schultz said. “But people need to realize that government is people. It is us, all of us.”

MPR News producer Ellie Roth contributed to this story.

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This story was originally published on MPRNews.org.

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Judge postpones hearing for Vance Boelter over living condition concerns

Mary Murphy — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 21:36:43 GMT

ST. PAUL — U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko granted a request from Vance Boelter’s defense for his preliminary and detention hearing on Friday, June 27, to be moved to July 3, over concerns for his living conditions.

Boelter, suspect in the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, is currently being held in Sherburne County Jail. He made his second court appearance on Friday, in a green anti-suicide smock, during which he told the judge he hadn’t slept in “12 to 14 days.”

Boelter’s lawyer, federal defender Manny Atwal, said Friday it’s “difficult to communicate with him in person because he is sleep deprived,” and that Boelter has been in “that contraption,” referring to his suicide smock, since his arrest on June 15.

Atwal said that at the Sherburne County jail, he’s being held in a cell with his lights on 24/7, a mat with no pillow for sleeping, and an inmate next to him who has smeared feces on the cell.

Boelter briefly took the microphone in court and said he appreciates the request since he hasn’t slept, and said, “I've never been suicidal and I'm not suicidal now.”

Assistant U.S. attorney Harry Jacobs did not object to the request from Boelter’s defense and said that “the government has serious concerns about Mr. Boelter and a potential suicide.”

Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott on Friday afternoon rebuked Boelter’s description of the jail conditions. He called the complaints “offensive and disgusting” on the day that hundreds gathered at the Minnesota Capitol to pay their respects to Rep. Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and their dog Gilbert.

“Claims made in court that deplorable jail conditions have prevented the alleged assassin from getting any sleep, and therefore require a continuance in the criminal case against him, are absurd,” Brott said in a news release. “Security cameras capturing the activity of the alleged assassin in his cell on ‘suicide precaution’ show he was resting peacefully with his eyes closed for seven straight hours, appearing to be asleep, from approximately 10:40 p.m. Thursday until 5:45 a.m. Friday.”

Brott described Boelter’s cell as “spotless clean,” and said that Boelter has a mattress with a pillow, and is offered a phone and shower daily. The sheriff said Boelter has not missed any meals at the jail.

“He is not in a hotel. He’s in jail, where a person belongs when they commit the heinous crimes he is accused of committing,” Brott said. “... He’s being treated like every other inmate in the same circumstance. It’s too late now to complain about the conditions in which he has put himself.”

Boelter faces both state and federal charges for the murder of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the shootings of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who are in recovery. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thomson said on June 16 that the federal charges will be prosecuted first. If convicted, the federal charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison or the death penalty.

The FBI special agent on Boelter's case, Terry Getsch, has already released his affidavit in support of the federal charges, which detail evidence against Boelter, such as recovered lists of other Minnesota politicians, weapons and an alleged confession letter.

Boelter’s preliminary and detention hearing will now be on Thursday, July 3, at 2:30 p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in St. Paul.

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Melissa and Mark Hortman lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol; Joe Biden visits

Mary Murphy — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 19:07:49 GMT

ST. PAUL — Hundreds of Minnesotans waited in line outside the Minnesota Capitol on Friday, June 27, to pay their respects to former Rep. Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and their dog Gilbert.

Melissa Hortman, who was murdered on June 14 in what officials have called a political assassination, was the first woman, and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans, to receive the honor of lying in state at the Capitol. The memorial ended just after 5 p.m., when the line for new visitors — which had wrapped around the Capitol at several points throughout the day — was cut off.

Among those who came to pay their respects in the Rotunda was former President Joe Biden, who prayed and kneeled before the Hortmans on Friday afternoon before leaving the Capitol.

Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St.Paul, told Forum News Service before visiting the Capitol that she woke up Friday with a "soul-crushing sadness."

"I'm gonna join with Minnesotans to properly mourn what is a profound loss that we share," Murphy said. "It is right that they lie in state. A recognition not only of the profound contributions of Melissa Hortman and her family, but also recognition of the loss of her talent, of our innocence and this moment of political violence."

One of the Minnesotans whom Murphy joined Friday was Tom Keljik of St. Paul.

“This is exemplary of, really, the feeling from Minnesota that we don't want these kinds of things happening to our elected officials,” Keljik said. “We want to be able to honor each other's perspectives and figure things out for the citizenry, and so sad that she had to pay the price.”

Another who waited in line on Friday was Kim Bera, of Champlin, who said she was shocked this happened in Minnesota and that this "tragedy" will "mark a stain on our state."

“This goes well beyond politics … there is the … disagreement over policies … but this, it seems, is taking a step further in that … there is a personal vendetta or hatred for the actual people that are doing the legislating, not just the bills they're passing,” Bera said. “And that is a very dangerous step ... in the wrong direction."

Bera said for everyone’s safety, she wants people to remember that lawmakers are human.

“I think for everybody's safety, we have to remember everybody here is a human being and regardless of how they lead politically, they have families, they have friends, they … are pillars in the community and the amount of hatred that is being spewed against them personally is … that line that has been crossed here," Bera said.

The Hortmans were shot in their home in Brooklyn Park on June 14 in what officials have called a politically targeted attack. Also shot on June 14 were Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who are recovering.

Friday’s public service was followed by a private funeral service at 10:30 Saturday morning.

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‘Completely blindsided’: Wife of Minnesota lawmaker shooting suspect releases statement

Mary Murphy — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 20:31:28 GMT

ST. PAUL — Jenny Boelter, the wife of Vance Boelter — suspect in the shootings of two Minnesota Lawmakers and their spouses — released a statement Thursday saying the violence was a "betrayal" of her family's beliefs.

“We are absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided,” Jenny Boelter said in the statement. “This violence does not at all align with our beliefs as a family. It is a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith. We are appalled and horrified by what occurred and our hearts are incredibly heavy for the victims of this unfathomable tragedy.”

Jenny Boelter said Thursday, June 26 that her family has been cooperating with law enforcement and investigations. She said she was first contacted by law enforcement on the morning of June 14 and drove to a gas station to meet agents.

A federal complaint filed against Vance Boelter after his arrest said that Jenny Boelter consented to a search of her car the morning of June 14, in which officers reportedly recovered two handguns, approximately $10,000 in cash and passports for Mrs. Boelter and her children, according to the complaint.

A separate federal complaint filed pre-arrest by FBI special agent Terry Getsch said the Boelters were “preppers.”

“Boelter and his wife had been ‘preppers,’ or people who prepare for major or catastrophic incidents,” Getsch wrote in the complaint. “At some point, Boelter had given his wife a “bailout plan” – i.e., a plan of where to go in case of exigent circumstances.”

Vance Boelter faces state and federal charges in the murder of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as the shootings of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Boelter remains in custody ahead of his second hearing at the U.S. courthouse in St. Paul on Friday.

Jenny Boelter thanked law enforcement in the statement, offered condolences to the Hortman and Hoffman families and asked for privacy for herself and her children.

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U.S. House passes resolution condemning Minnesota lawmaker shootings

Mary Murphy — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 20:02:35 GMT

ST. PAUL — The U.S. House unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday afternoon honoring the lives of House DFL Leader Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and condemning political violence.

The resolution, as introduced by Minnesota's Congressional delegation, honors Rep. Hortman for her “devotion to public service” and Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, with wishes for their full recovery. Rep. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were assassinated in a pair of politically motivated shootings in Minnesota on June 14. Sen. Hoffman and his wife were shot in a related attack and continue to recover.

The resolution calls on community leaders and elected officials to publicly and “unequivocally denounce acts of political violence and for citizens to "reaffirm the commitment … to a safe, civil and peaceful democracy in which violent rhetoric and acts are not tolerated.”

The resolution was introduced by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith; Reps. Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Angie Craig (D-MN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and Brad Finstad (R-MN); Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD); Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

Rep. Morrison spoke on the House floor Wednesday morning ahead of the vote, saying the shootings should become a “watershed moment” for the country.

“As elected representatives for the people of the United States of America, we have to take responsibility for our roles in this moment,” Morrison said. “As elected leaders, we play a prominent role in setting the tone ... In creating the atmosphere ... In shaping the narrative … In determining what becomes normalized. And this cannot be normalized.”

The resolution passed the U.S. House in a unanimous vote Wednesday afternoon. It was not clear when the Senate would take up the resolution for consideration.

The Hortmans and their dog Gilbert, who died as a result of the June 14 shootings, will lie in state on Friday, June 27 from 12-5 p.m. before a private funeral on Saturday.

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Affidavits reveal details of alleged shooter's plan, leadup to fatal attacks on Minnesota lawmakers, spouses

Mary Murphy — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 17:31:24 GMT

ST. PAUL — Ahead of a key court hearing Friday, June 27, authorities have publicly revealed new details in the case against Vance Boelter, the suspect in the June 14 shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses.

Multiple affidavits — one of which was unsealed on June 20 — outline how Boelter allegedly planned and carried out the attack, as well as what followed in its aftermath.

Inside Boelter’s SUV, disguised as a cop car

After Boelter fled on foot from officers in Brooklyn Park on Saturday, June 14, law enforcement searched the SUV that Boelter left behind and found five firearms, including semi-automatic assault style rifles, and “a large quantity of ammunition,” according to the post-arrest affidavit.

Law enforcement officers also reportedly found several notebooks in the SUV, among which was a list of more than 45 public officials in Minnesota, including Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was fatally shot alongside her husband, Mark, on June 14. Next to Rep. Hortman's name was her home address, according to affidavits.

Another notebook contained lists of search engines for researching people's personal information. Within the notes, titled “finding people,” were side notes under individual websites, including “not free,” “three days free,” “need name, phone number or address,” and “just enter a name and state.”

The SUV also contained a GPS navigation system, with a trip history that included the addresses of five public officials' homes, according to the post-arrest affidavit.

Boelter’s family, text messages

The post-arrest affidavit said that law enforcement obtained the information to track the cell phones of Boelter and his wife, Jenny, on Saturday. After Jenny Boelter consented to a search of her phone, law enforcement saw a text sent from Vance Boelter at 6:18 a.m. on Saturday in a group text message.

“Dad went to war last night … I don’t want to say any more because I don’t want to implicate anybody,” The text message read, according to a post-arrest affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Boelter sent another text around the same time that said, “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation … There’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around.”

Jenny Boelter also consented to a search of her car, in which officers recovered two handguns, approximately $10,000 in cash, and passports for Jenny Boelter and her children, according to the post-arrest affidavit.

"Boelter and his wife had been 'preppers,' or people who prepare for major or catastrophic incidents. At some point, Boelter had given his wife a 'bailout plan' — i.e., a plan of where to go in case of exigent circumstances — to go [to] her mother’s residence in Spring Brook, Wisconsin," FBI Special Agent Terry Getsch wrote in the pre-arrest affidavit.

Searches in North Minneapolis

During the search of Boelter’s North Minneapolis residence on Saturday, officers found a separate list of officials ’ names, “many of those same public officials named in the notebooks found in Boelter’s SUV,” the post-arrest affidavit said.

In another notebook recovered at the North Minneapolis residence, Rep. Hortman’s name was listed with notes saying “married Mark two children eleventh term,” and “big house off golf course two ways in to watch from one spot.”

Officers also found a receipt of a June 9 purchase from Fleet Farm, which, among other things, included a flashlight, a tactical rifle case, two types of firearm ammunition and the materials “believed to have been used to create the fake ‘POLICE’ license plate attached to Boelter’s SUV," the post-arrest affidavit wrote.

Officers also found notebooks that contained research on websites for purchasing silicone masks, similar to the one Boelter can reportedly be seen wearing on camera footage recorded at Sen. John Hoffman's residence in Champlin on June 14.

On the morning of June 14, Boelter reportedly met with “Witness 1,” as described in the affidavit, in North Minneapolis to purchase both an e-bike and a Buick. Witness 1 told law enforcement that Boelter carried two duffel bags with him when they met and that Boelter and Witness 1 drove together to a U.S. Bank in Robbinsdale.

Boelter withdrew $2,200, thereby emptying an account in his name, and reportedly paid Witness 1 $900 for the purchase of the e-bike and the Buick, according to the post-arrest affidavit.

Search in Green Isle

Around 2:30 a.m. on June 15, law enforcement was notified of an individual on an e-bike, approximately two miles Northeast of Boelter’s family home in Green Isle, according to the post-arrest affidavit.

After further investigation, officers discovered an abandoned Buick on Highway 25 close to the sighting of the individuals on an e-bike in Green Isle, the post-arrest affidavit said.

In the Buick, law enforcement recovered a handwritten letter to the FBI. The writer of that letter, who claimed his name was “Dr. Vance Luther Boelter,” admitted to being “the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the two shootings the morning of Saturday.”

Boelter faces state and federal charges in the murders of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, June 27, at the U.S. courthouse in St. Paul.

If convicted, the federal charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. Boelter remains in custody ahead of the hearing.

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U.S. sues Minnesota over tuition aid programs for undocumented students

Mary Murphy — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 17:01:17 GMT

ST. PAUL — The U.S. Department of Justice filed a suit on Wednesday, June 25, against Minnesota programs that offer in-state and free tuition for undocumented immigrants.

The complaint targets the Minnesota Dream Act, passed in 2013 to grant in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, and the North Star Promise Act, passed in 2023 to provide free college tuition for low-income Minnesotans, including those with undocumented status.

“No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a Wednesday press release. “The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to taking this fight to Minnesota in order to protect the rights of American citizens first.”

The complaint argues that the Minnesota programs violate federal law, including the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, and two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump: Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders and Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens.

“We are reviewing the lawsuit and will vigorously defend the state’s prerogative to offer affordable tuition to both citizen and non-citizen state residents,” Brian Evans, spokesperson with Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office, said in an emailed statement Thursday.

Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, who was the chief author of the Minnesota Dream Act in 2013, said in a statement Thursday that the lawsuit is "shameful," and that the Dream Act has faced no opposition in the 12 years since its passage.

“My heart breaks that the Trump Administration would spend time and energy attacking this legislation, which has done nothing but good for Minnesota students, colleges and communities," Pappas said. "These students grew up in Minnesota, attended Minnesota high schools and studied hard. They were excitedly preparing to attend college, and frequently, they learned about their legal status for the first time in that process."

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BCA identifies officer who fired shots after hearing gunfire at Hortman home on morning of shootings

Mary Murphy — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 16:40:44 GMT

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified Officer Zachary Baumtrog on Thursday as the officer who discharged his firearm at the home of Melissa and Mark Hortman on June 14.

The Thursday, June 26 press release said Baumtrog fired his gun while performing a welfare check at the Hortman residence just after 3:30 a.m. on June 14. Officers were checking on the Hortmans after responding earlier that morning to the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

“As officers arrived, they encountered a vehicle resembling a squad car with emergency lights flashing in the Hortmans’ driveway and a man, later identified as Vance Boelter, at the front of the home dressed as a police officer,” the release said. “Shots were fired and Officer Baumtrog discharged his firearm in response.”

The release said that spent casings were recovered at the scene and that Baumtrog was wearing a body camera during the incident, but due to the ongoing investigation, no further details are currently available.

Baumtrog, a Brooklyn Park officer, has nine years of law enforcement experience and has been placed on critical incident leave, according to the release.

Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were both fatally shot during the June 14 attacks, with Melissa dying at their home and Mark being pronounced dead at a hospital later that morning, according to official reports.

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