Members of the Legislative Management Committee conduct a meeting at the Capitol on June 26, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
By: Michael Achterling
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota lawmakers plan to hold a security hearing with the North Dakota Highway Patrol and Capitol Security to discuss the safety concerns of legislators after Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and her husband Mark, were killed June 14 in their Brooklyn Park home.
Law enforcement arrested and charged Vance Boelter in connection with the crimes. Boelter is also accused of shooting and seriously wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin. A list of dozens of Democratic lawmakers, who were believed to have also been targets, was found inside Boelter’s vehicle at the Hortman residence.
During a meeting of the Legislative Management Committee last month, John Bjornson, director of Legislative Council, told lawmakers the issue would be added to the agenda of the first meeting of the Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee.
Legislative Council removed the home addresses of North Dakota lawmakers from their biographical websites immediately after the attacks occurred.
“I have had no great rush of people saying, ‘Put my address back up on the webpage,’ I believe once we probably have the time to catch our breath … that maybe we’ll open that discussion and we can make it optional,” Bjornson said during the meeting.
During each organizational session, prior to the convening of the full Legislature, Bjornson said Legislative Council asks lawmakers what kind of contact information they would like to appear on their webpages.
“I think everybody will take a much more serious look at what that is,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, said she hoped to include the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in any security discussions because the assailant was dressed as a member of law enforcement.
“They were responding to a law enforcement person at the door, which we would all open the door, if a cop was at the front door,” Hogan said.
Sen. Ronald Sorvaag, R-Fargo, said he worries about his wife, who lives at his formerly publicized address, while he stays in Bismarck for four months during the legislative session.
“This openness, there’s just got to be some reality check because as that tragedy showed, we’re putting others at risk besides the elected officials,” Sorvaag said. “We can’t get it perfect … but let’s not make it too easy for them is what’s got to be important.”
Sen. David Hogue, R-Minot, chair of the Legislative Management Committee, said he hopes those discussions about security will point out “weak links” in the security of lawmakers and they can address them without limiting accessibility and transparency.
No date has been scheduled for the first meeting of the interim Legislative Procedures and Arrangements Committee.
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