Like many people, I’m still in shock about the cruel murder of Rep. Melissa Hortman. I’m still struggling to articulate what this loss means. But I realized earlier today I do have a tribute to Melissa –– a letter of recommendation I wrote for her application to the Masters of Public Administration program at Harvard, nearly 10 years ago. I re-reading it, it drives home how much this loss will cost her family, her friends, our state, and her public policy allies like myself. You will be deeply missed, Melissa.
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To Whom It May Concern,
I doubt there’s a single elected official I know whom I could more highly recommend for your Louis Bacon Environmental Leadership Fellowship than Rep. Melissa Hortman.
I met Melissa during the 2013 legislative session, as part of a coalition of grassroots and advocacy organizations trying to improve Minnesota’s energy policies. There were innumerable policy ideas on the table, but Melissa was instrumental in shepherding passage of an omnibus energy package through the state legislature that includes a solar energy standard, community solar, and several other policies. She had to wrestle with highly organized and well-funded opposition, lukewarm support within her own party and committee, and herding supporters into a strong coalition. In the end, she overcame all these obstacles to pass a bill that has been crucial in making Minnesota a solar energy leader in the Midwest, and that widely shares the benefits of going solar among Minnesota electric customers.
Melissa was rare among state legislators in her commitment to understanding both the technical details and the political implications of the energy policies she championed. She invited conversations about the mundane details and the high level policy strategy. She was tireless in her work to rally allies and engage with opponents to ensure the strongest possible legislation.
Perhaps nothing illustrates more her commitment to environmental leadership that her recent visit to Paris for the climate talks, and her subsequent efforts to meet with nearly every environmental constituency in the state in preparation for this and future legislative sessions. As a member in the minority, she chairs no committees and holds no key leadership position for passing legislation, and yet she is relentless in trying to identify small victories that can pass a divided legislature and lay the groundwork for major climate and environmental legislation should her party re-take the majority.
Already Melissa has served as an environmental policy champion, helping Minnesota stand out as a model state for environmental and clean energy leadership in the Midwest. I can only imagine what she could accomplish with an opportunity to study with her brightest peers in public leadership at Harvard.