Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signs two bills championed by son of slain Hortmans
Two new bills signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz could help families going through a traumatic time.
The bills come after last summer's lawmaker attacks, and they were pushed for by Colin Hortman, the son of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.
Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed last June when they were attacked in their home.
Colin Hortman said during the law enforcement response, significant damage was done to the house — more than what's covered in basic cleaning.
One of the new bills streamlines the process for working with insurance companies.
Colin Hortman said it took eight months to get his childhood home properly fixed. While testifying about the bill in March, he said he hopes it can create a smoother process for families in the future.
"After my parents died, there were things that I wanted to do there as part of my grieving and healing process that had to be put on hold for months while we argued over what the insurance company would pay for," Colin Hortman said. "That weight came on top of everything else our family was dealing with."
The other bill focuses on the chemicals law enforcement use when responding to emergencies inside a building.
Agencies will have to disclose exactly what they used, so families know what they're dealing with when it comes to cleanup.
Colin Hortman spoke to a House committee back in March about what his family faced after the attack. He said police used tear gas and other irritants while responding to the Hortman home. Those chemicals, he said, caused significant damage, making repairs to his childhood home far more difficult than they expected.
"The part that concerns me most is that my family had resources that most people do not have," he said. "We had attorneys helping us because of the criminal case, we had connections in the state government. We had to the ability to wait months for testing reports and negotiations. Even with all of that, the process felt extremely slow, confusing and difficult to understand."
Vance Boelter, the man accused of killing the Hortmans, as well as shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette while their daughter Hope was home, could face the death penalty if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.
In late April, a U.S. attorney submitted a recommendation to the Justice Department, but it hasn't been disclosed if the recommendation is for or against that punishment. The decision is now up to the U.S. attorney general.
