In wake of lawmaker attacks, Minnesota Legislature considers special security unit for elected officials
More than eight months after the politically motivated shooting attacks on lawmakers inside their homes, the Minnesota Legislature is considering creating a special security unit for elected officials.
The assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and the attempted killing of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette still resonate at the Capitol, which for the first time has weapons screenings at all public entrances. On Monday, a House panel discussed a proposal to create a protective services unit within Capitol Security, which the Minnesota State Patrol oversees, to provide security to lawmakers, Supreme Court justices and other elected officials holding constitutional offices in response to threats.
The law enforcement officers would also coordinate safety efforts with the chambers' sergeants-at-arms for legislative security issues.
Many other DFL lawmakers were on the accused assassin's hit list that night, authorities say, and he also visited other homes between shooting the Hoffmans and killing the Hortmans. How quickly and extensively lawmakers were informed about the threats of that night has faced scrutiny, and some have shared they weren't notified until much later, even when Vance Boelter, the man facing criminal charges in the shootings, was still on the run.
"Members, this is a wake-up call. When that incident happened, there was lack of coordination. There was no clear command in who was in charge of the safety of legislators," said Rep. Mohamud Noor, DFL-Minneapolis. "We're not going to change what happened that day. I, myself, included on that list, never received any guidance coming from any of the departments until later on. That means we have to fill the gaps."
The bill removes a prior requirement that the Legislature consult the governor before there is any additional protection provided to lawmakers and instructs the Department of Public Safety to assess the threat environment. From 2024 to 2025, the number of threats against lawmakers and other elected officials more than doubled, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Some Republicans on the House transportation committee that discussed the proposal Monday had concerns about the cost — nearly $4 million in the first year and $3.25 million in the years following — and how it would be implemented in practice.
Rep. Bjorn Olson, a Republican who represents parts of Southern Minnesota, including Blue Earth and Faribault counties, suggested that the state law enforcement group could be the lead agency assessing threats and coordination, but it should be up to local law enforcement to provide protection as needed.
"There's an emotion to this. I want us to do this measured. I want us to do this the right way. I want to make sure that the person who's in charge of our protection is the right person for our protection," Olson said.
The proposal will be considered as part of a larger package of bills at the end of session.
There are a number of other measures lawmakers are also discussing in the wake of the June 14, 2025, attacks, including increasing penalties for falsely impersonating a police officer — which authorities said the shooter did that night — and expanding the use of campaign funds for security purposes.
