Following the shooting of two legislators at their homes, officials have taken immediate steps to protect the privacy and safety of legislators whether they’re at work or at home.
Last Saturday, Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated in their home just a short time after Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were shot multiple times in their home. The alleged shooter, Vance Boelter, has been arrested and charged.
Since then, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office began to, at least temporarily, restrict public access to two of its databases that include address information for state legislators and candidates seeking elected office.
One of those databases is a searchable webpage that contains candidate information. The other is a web-based legislative manual that contains information on members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, the Minnesota Senate, and their staff.
Secretary of State Steve Simon recently talked to KSTP about his decision to take legislator address information offline.
“Just how accessible do we need this personal address information to be?” Simon told KSTP. “The address information that candidates give when they voluntarily file for office is public, but as we navigate through these legal issues, we’re determining now that just because it’s public doesn’t mean we need to put it on a website.”
The Minnesota Legislature’s website has also taken down all personal address information for legislators that was previously online.
On Monday, the Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security released a statement saying it is committed to working with law enforcement to ensure the safety of everyone at the State Capitol. That committee is comprised of bipartisan lawmakers, the lieutenant governor, and the chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.
“As members of the Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security, we are committed to continue working alongside our law enforcement partners and our colleagues in both the House and Senate to ensure the safety of everybody participating in our democratic process in Saint Paul,” wrote the committee.
Assassination sparks debate over possible firearms ban at State Capitol
This week, Gov. Tim Walz called on legislators to look at banning firearms at the State Capitol, saying: “I made no bones about it that I think it’s inappropriate that we carry firearms in the Capitol, and I think we have to reassess that.”
Those comments echoed a similar sentiment expressed by Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville. In an interview with the Pioneer Press, Marty said he hopes lawmakers will ban firearms at the State Capitol next year. The DFL lawmaker also noted that the use of metal detectors on State Capitol grounds may be on the horizon as well.
Others, such as Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, are rejecting the idea.
“When we have people with access, like the lobbyist just arrested for making a threat to kill legislators, it would be profoundly irresponsible to disarm lawful permit carriers at the capitol,” said the Republican lawmaker.
Hudson was referring to the Thursday arrest of lobbyist John Bohn for allegedly making a threat of violence regarding the Capitol.
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, a pro-gun lobbying organization, also dismissed the idea of banning firearms at the Capitol. The group’s senior vice president of government affairs, Rob Doar, said “disarming the Capitol won’t make it safer, it makes it less safe.”
Lawmakers introduced bills to enhance safety measures, privacy
In recent years, a handful of bills from both sides of the political aisle have been introduced that seek to increase security and privacy for lawmakers. Those bills could return when the legislature begins the 2026 session in February.
Earlier this year, Hudson introduced legislation that would criminalize protests targeting lawmakers at their homes. Hudson told Alpha News he was recently the target of an individual who publicly encouraged others to protest outside his home, which was part of the impetus for drafting the bill.
During the 2023 legislative session, then-state Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn proposed a bill that would make it easier for political candidates to conceal their home address and related personal information.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
