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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is comprised of a weekly 30-minute magazine-style newscast and daily, five-minute headlines segments that shine a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
INTRO: YOU ARE LISTENING TO NORTH STAR STORIES: VOICES FROM WHERE WE LIVE, A DAILY NEWSCAST ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA.
XAN HOLSTON: WITH A SPECIAL EDITION OF NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
EACH DAY THIS WEEK, NORTH STAR STORIES IS EXPLORING THE ONGOING IMPACT THE POLITICAL ASSISNATION OF FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MELISSA HORTMAN HAD ON OUR STATE.
TONIGHT … WE LOOK AT SOME CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT AND LAWMAKERS’ SECURITY ... NEW SECURITY PROTOCOLS ... AND CHANGES IN STATE LAWS DESIGNED TO PREVENT FUTURE TRAGEDIES.
VANCE LUTHER BOELTER PLEADED GUILTY LAST WEEK TO SIX FEDERAL COUNTS CONNECTED TO THE STALKINGS … SHOOTINGS … AND MURDERS OF MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
UNDER THE FEDERAL PLEA AGREEMENT … PROSECUTORS WILL NOT SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY. HE NOW ALSO FACES NUMEROUS STATE CHARGES.
WE WILL USE HIS NAME ONCE SO YOU KNOW WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KILLINGS…
BUT AS NORTH STAR STORIE’S TRACIE COLLIER CONTINUES OUR SPECIAL COVERAGE … WE FOCUS ON THE VICTIMS …THE SURVIVORS … AND THE STEPS MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS ARE TAKING TO PREVENT FUTURE VIOLENCE:
REP. KLEVORN: IT WAS THE DARK OF NIGHT... IT WAS FOUR O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
TRACIE COLLIER: REPRESENTATIVE GINNY KLEVORN WAS SLEEPING AT HOME IN PLYMOUTH WHEN THE POLICE CHIEF CALLED HER DIRECTLY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CENTRAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM TO ALERT ALL LAWMAKERS.
KLEVORN: WE WERE BEING TOLD THAT WE NEEDED TO EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY OUR HOME.
TRACIE COLLIER: THE POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS, SHOOTINGS AND STALKINGS ON JUNE FOURTEENTH OF LAST YEAR . EXPOSED TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF VULNERABILITY FOR LAWMAKERS...
FIRST... THE BLIND TRUST COMMANDED BY A POLICE UNIFORM… AND... THE LACK OF SECURITY MEASURES AND EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS FOR MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS..
MULTIPLE HOURS AFTER THE FIRST SHOOTINGS OF SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN AND HIS WIFE, YVETTE, AT TWO A-M... AND THE START OF WHAT WOULD BECOME THE LARGEST MANHUNT IN MINNESOTA HISTORY... MANY LAWMAKERS WERE STILL COMPLETELY UNAWARE AN ASSASSIN WAS GOING TO LAWMAKERS’ HOMES
REP. KLEVORN: EVIDENTLY THERE WAS A LIST IN HIS CAR, AND SO PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THAT IMMEDIATE LIST WERE. RECEIVED CALLS TO KIND OF GET US TO SAFETY RIGHT AWAY.
TRACIE COLLIER: REPRESENTATIVE KELLY MOLLER… A FORMER PROSECUTOR AND CO-CHAIR OF THE HOUSE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE… SAYS BEFORE THAT DAY CAPITOL SECURITY CONVERSATIONS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THE CAPITOL COMPLEX. BUT.. OUT OF THE TRAGEDY… NEW SECURITY DISCUSSIONS EVOLVED...
REP. MOLLER: HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE ALL GETTING NOTIFIED IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, BOTH INSIDE THE WALLS OF THE CAPITOL COMPLEX, BUT THEN OUTSIDE. AND WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIPS DO PEOPLE HAVE WITH THEIR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT?
TRACIE COLLIER: MOLLER SAYS THE NEW PACKAGE OF SECURITY MEASURES AND LAWS LOOKS AT MORE THAN THE CAPITOL BUILDING... INCLUDING LAWMAKERS HOMES.. TOWN HALLS… … ONLINE THREATS.. AND REAL-TIME WARNINGS… MAKING IT SAFER FOR EVERYONE WHO WORKS AT OR VISITS THE CAPITOL.
REP. MOLLER: SOME OF IT WAS PHYSICAL SECURITY… INCLUDING EXTENDING THE TEMPORARY WEAPON DETECTIONS THAT WE HAD.
TRACIE COLLIER: LEGISLATORS ALSO PASSED A NEW LAW DESIGNED TO PROTECT ALL MINNESOTANS.... STRENGTHENING PENALTIES FOR IMPERSONATING A PEACE OFFICER AND D MAKING IT HARDER TO DO SO…
POLICE USED CHEMICAL IRRITANTS TO TRY TO FORCE THE GUNMAN FROM THE HORTMAN HOME. BUT THE CHEMICALS LEFT THE HOME UNINHABITABLE FOR MONTHS.
THE HORTMAN’S SON COLIN.HELPED CHAMPION A NEW LAW REQUIRING POLICE TO DISCLOSE IF POLICE USE A CHEMICAL IRRITANTS...AND ANOTHER LIMITS HOMEOWNER-INSURANCE EXCLUSIONS WHEN PROPERTY IS DAMAGED BY POLICE.
REPRESENTATIVE MOLLER SAYS COLIN WANTED TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM FACING A SIMILAR SITUATION.
REP. MOLLER: COLIN WAS WORRIED ABOUT VICTIMS WHO WOULD JUST SAY, “WELL, JUST CLEAN MY CARPETS. I HAVE TO GET BACK IN THERE”… AND WOULD JUST AGREE TO A QUICK CLEANUP THAT ISN’T HEALTHY.
TRACIE COLLIER: THESE LAWS DO NOT CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED THAT MORNING. NO SET OF SECURITY MEASURES CAN STOP EVERY ACT OF VIOLENCE.
BUT... LAWMAKERS WHO WERE TARGETED.. WARNED.. OR FORCED TO RUN FROM THEIR HOMES... SAY THEIR WORK NOW IS TO MAKE THE NEXT FAMILY SAFER... LIKE THEIR MENTOR AND FRIEND, SPEAKER MELISSA HORTMAN, WOULD DO.
REP. KLEVORN: I JUST WANT US TO REALLY BRING HONOR TO MELISSA'S LEGACY AND NOT FOCUS ON THE VIOLENCE. SHE HAD SO MUCH MORE TO OFFER, AND I REALLY DON'T WANT HER TO BE DEFINED BY THE VIOLENCE THAT OCCURRED TO HER.
FOR NORTH START STORIES, I’M TRACIE COLLIER.
XAN HOLSTON: IN OTHER NEWS, THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS CHARGING FIFTEEN PEOPLE WITH OBSTRUCTING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES EARLIER THIS YEAR.
ALL 15 ARE AFFILIATED WITH A GROUP KNOWN AS DIRECT ACTION MINNESOTA.
THE ARRESTS PROMPTED PROTESTS OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN ST. PAUL TUESDAY.
MASKED OFFICERS USED CHEMICAL AGENTS ON PROTESTORS WHO WERE FORCING THE COURTHOUSE DOORS OPEN.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
OUTRO: NORTH STAR STORIES IS PRODUCED BY AMPERS, DIVERSE RADIO FOR MINNESOTA'S COMMUNITIES WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. ONLINE AT AMPERS DOT ORG.