Political Violence Is Becoming America's New Normal

[justaprogressive]

Among the myriad headlines that roiled the nation last week, rising political violence in the United States was a sickening drumbeat—one that culminated and resounded most loudly during a weekend of targeted shootings directed at two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses.

In the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman, accounts of her deep commitment to public service filled the airwaves. She was a beloved parent, spouse and friend who served as a dogged champion of children, families and democracy, especially during the pivotal period when she was Democratic House Leader (from 2019 until earlier this year). She helped win passage of so many laws that NBC News dubbed Minnesota the “laboratory” for how a state could effectively wield democratic power (the small-d kind) to improve her constituents’ lives and livelihoods. In 2023, columnist E.J. Dionne called that slate of reforms and Rep. Hortman’s professional legacy a “Minnesota Miracle.”

Among the issues tackled and state laws passed during her tenure:

Abortion: the PRO Act, legislation that codified abortion access in the state, as well as other bills to protect abortion providers, boost funding for reproductive healthcare and crack down on fake crisis pregnancy centers.
Child poverty: an array of reforms including expansion of the child tax credit, free school breakfasts and lunches and increased funding for state childcare programs.
Free speech: a prohibition on book banning based on ideological or content objections in public schools and libraries.
Gun safety: mandatory universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, as well as laws to make straw purchases of firearms a felony.
LGBTQ rights: a ban on conversion therapy for minors and protections for gender-affirming care, and a proclamation of Minnesota as a “trans refuge state.”
Voting rights: a package of laws that includes pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, automatic voter registration in state agencies, and penalties for voter intimidation and lies. Restore the Vote re-enfranchised 50,000 Minnesotans with felony convictions.
Workplace: paid family and medical leave, including paid sick leave and paid safe leave for survivors of domestic abuse (including to find temporary housing, attend court, etc.).

https://msmagazine.com/2025/06/20/politics-violence-melissa-hortman-women-abortion/