The lawmaker killed in what officials have described as a political assassination will be the first woman to lie in state at the Minnesota State Capitol, as she, her husband and their dog are honored on Friday before a private funeral this weekend.
State Representative Melissa Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their golden retriever, Gilbert, were gunned down in their home on the morning of June 14. The remains of all three will be placed in the Capitol rotunda for mourners to pay respects.
Here’s what to know:
What does it mean to lie in state?
Placing a dead person’s remains in a prominent place in a government building — usually a capitol rotunda — is a way to pay a final tribute to someone who served the public with distinction.
“It’s a time to grieve together,” said Brian Pease, the historic site manager at the Minnesota State Capitol.
The honor is usually given to significant public officials, such as presidents and governors, and to veterans, including unknown soldiers.
At the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Congress decides who should lie in state. Henry Clay, a former speaker of the House, was the first in 1852. Others include Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the architect who laid out Washington, and J. Edgar Hoover, the first F.B.I. director. The most recent was former President Jimmy Carter in January.
There’s technically a distinction: Veterans and public officials lie in state, while others lie in honor, according to the Architect of the Capitol, which is responsible for such ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol.
What is the significance in Minnesota?
It’s a fairly rare honor. Only 19 Minnesotans have lain in state at the Capitol, according to a list compiled by the Minnesota Historical Society.
All three of Friday’s honorees will be firsts. In addition to Ms. Hortman, the first woman, her husband will be the first who wasn’t a public official or veteran, and their dog will be the first animal. It will also be the first time in the state history that two people will receive the honor in unison.
Ms. Hortman was the third woman to serve as Minnesota’s speaker of the House and was described by Gov. Tim Walz after her death as “the most consequential speaker in state history.” A Democrat, she was known for working across party lines to pass legislation in her two decades in the Minnesota House.
Gilbert, her dog, was gravely injured the night of the attack and had to be put down, State Representative Zack Stephenson said. The Hortmans originally took Gilbert in while he was training to be a service dog, Mr. Stephenson said, and adopted him after he did not pass his training.
Who has previously received the honor in Minnesota?
The most recent person to lie in state in Minnesota was former Gov. Al Quie, who received the honor in September 2023. He had also served in the State Senate and the U.S. House, and was a U.S. Navy pilot during World War II.
The first person to lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol was a Civil War veteran, William Colvill. That was in 1905, the same year the Capitol was built.
How many people are expected to visit?
It’s unclear, but thousands of people could attend on Friday, Mr. Pease said. In 1936, about 200,000 people came to mourn a three-term governor, Floyd B. Olson.
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