The Minnesota House of Representatives Democrat leader murdered by a crazed gunman early Saturday morning on the day of nationwide anti-Trump protests, had just voted against taxpayer-funded healthcare for adult illegal migrants.
In fact, the late Melissa Hortman was the only Democrat to cross the aisle to vote with Republicans to repeal taxpayer-funded healthcare coverage for illegals, the New York Post reported.
"I did what leaders do, I stepped up and I got the job done for the people of Minnesota," Hortman told KTTC-TV, acknowledging the break from Democrats whom she said were "right" to be mad at her.
"They're right to be mad at me. I think some of them are pretty, pretty angry. I think that their job was to make folks who voted for that bill feel like crap, and I think that they succeeded."
But, Hortman still believed she was stuck to have to vote for that provision to end illegal migrant's free healthcare coverage.
"I know that people will be hurt by that vote, and we worked very hard to get a budget deal that didn’t include that provision," she said on the House floor, Tuesday, after four hours of debate before her deciding vote was cast.
Hortman cast the deciding vote June 10 to end free healthcare benefits for illegals over the age of 18 in the state of Minnesota, and then just nights later, she and her husband were gunned down in cold blood in her own Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, home.
The suspect, Vance Luther Boetler, 57, a reported political appointee of Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, remains at large and "armed and dangerous."
A manifesto to target a reported 70 politicians – many on the left, including Walz himself – was left behind by Boetler and found by police.
Police also found fliers and photos calling for "No Kings" protests against President Donald Trump and his administration in the car of Boetler. It is unclear if he was intending to use those protests as a target of his further attacks or perhaps a motive for his shooting of Minnesota state lawmakers.
"I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers," Trump, himself once shot by a crazed shooter, wrote Saturday on Truth Social. "Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.
"Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!"
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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