A small politician and a human being would have sought to undermine the new speaker. Hortman did nothing like it. She went to work for her caucus and relied on the strong relationship she and Demuth has already had for two years.
Another embarrassment for Hortman at the start of the session: she had to face a winning candidate from the ineligible DFL to serve because he did not live in the headquarters of the Roseville region which he won.
When Hortman was asked by a journalist if the DFL should have been better approved by the candidate and made sure that he was living in the district rather than little Canada, Hortman responded to the facts that the DFL was not going to slap the ankle monitors on the candidates to follow their movements.
In one of his last public acts in office, Hortman, once again, swallowed hard and did what should be done. She, as well as the head of the majority of the Senate, Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul and Walz gave the Republicans the victory they coveted by agreeing to strip minnesotacare health insurance with undocumented adult immigrants.
Hortman then voted for the measurement, the only house to do so, so she would pass.
When the agreement was announced in the Governor’s reception hall last month, Hortman and Murphy appeared on the point of tears, with a broken heart. Demuth was satisfied. Walz was optimistic.