By Guy Page
Jill Krowinski and Paul Dame don’t agree on much.
The Democrat Speaker of the House (Krowinski) and the former Essex Junction Republican member of the House and the current chairman of the Vermont Republican Party chairman, rarely see eye to eye on anything touching the world of politics.
But not this weekend. This weekend they stand together against political violence.
Early Saturday morning, someone shot and killed former Minnesota House Speaker and current representative Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home. Suspect Vance Luther Boelter has been apprehended and charged with second-degree murder. Authorities have yet to ascribe a motive. Boelter served on a state workforce development board with Hortman. Another Minnesota legislator and his spouse also were shot Saturday morning at their home, and are recovering. Boelter allegedly had a lengthy target list.
Hours later, Dame issued this statement in his capacity as state GOP chair: ”I condemn in the strongest terms possible the senseless killing of Democratic State Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband. It is a travesty and a shame that someone would needlessly take the life of any public servant, and the injustice seems to carry even greater weight as many of us are hearing about this on Father’s Day.”
The killing of Hortman hit Krowinski hard. How could it have not? They were colleagues with much in common. On this planet, there aren’t that many married-with-kids Democrat women Speakers of the House.
“I knew Representative Hortman, she was an incredible leader, and I was fortunate to call her a friend,” Krowinski said in a statement published Saturday.
The similarities between Hortman, 55, and Krowinski, 45, don’t stop there. Their political and policy resumes are almost interchangeable.
Hortman, 55, hailed from the mostly rural state’s biggest metro area. During her tenure as speaker, she advocated for transportation, environmental, abortion rights, police reform, and gun control policies, and was the chief author of the state’s solar energy standard.
Krowinski also has experienced personal fear due to her work.
In 2021, a judge granted a relief order against author and mental health/substance abuser advocate Kyle Wolfe of Burlington for stalking Krowinski. Police say that Wolfe sent a threatening email to Krowinski and also allegedly sought her at the Vermont State House, where a confrontation with police ensued. State House police added extra security measures after the incident, reducing walk-up access to the Speaker’s office.
A judge in 2024 extended the anti-stalking order, after Krowinski said she’s still in fear of Wolfe because he hasn’t stopped stalking her despite the original court order.
Judge Timothy Tomasi’s 2024 extension stated that Krowinski “alleged that she continued to fear defendant and he continued to threaten and attempt to contact her, despite the restrictions in the existing anti-stalking order and conditions of release in pending criminal cases for violating the order. Defendant opposed the request, arguing that his conduct was not stalking because he was attempting to redress grievances with plaintiff in her official capacity as Speaker of the Vermont House.”
Wolfe is a self-professed advocate for criminal justice reform for mentally ill and substance abusing Vermonters, according to his website: “The Public Inebriate (PIP) Expansion patent is something I designed and advocated for in Vermont. It eliminates needless violations for those on supervision and provides better support for those with SUD.”
Speaker Krowinski’s statement, issued Saturday, June 14:
“There truly are no words that can express the devastating news we received this morning out of Minnesota. I am heartbroken to hear of the targeted murders of former Speaker of the House, Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark,” said Speaker Jill Krowinski. “We are witnessing an incredibly divisive time in our country and political violence is not how a nation solves its differences. The rhetoric and the words used to target differences of opinion have escalated dramatically, and unfortunately, it has led to violence and the loss of innocent lives. This was avoidable, and unless leaders across the country and Washington D.C. change, it is a threat to our democracy.
“I knew Representative Hortman, she was an incredible leader, and I was fortunate to call her a friend. She was a passionate advocate for her community and was a dedicated, thoughtful public servant who cared deeply about her work and the future of Minnesota. I have thought about her throughout the morning, and my thoughts are with her family, friends and legislative colleagues.
“I am keeping Senator John Hoffman, his wife, Yvette and their family and friends in my thoughts and hope they make a full recovery. This has been an unimaginable tragedy and I am sending them strength and comfort to their communities and the state of Minnesota.”
Chair Dame’s statement:
VTGOP Chairman Paul Dame made the following statement,
”I condemn in the strongest terms possible the senseless killing of Democratic State Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband. It is a travesty and a shame that someone would needlessly take the life of any public servant, and the injustice seems to carry even greater weight as many of us are hearing about this on Father’s Day.
“Speaker Hortman appears to be exactly the kind of person we need more of in state government; her facebook page represents someone who fought hard for what she believed in, and the people she represented – but was also willing to work towards a compromise when it became necessary, as it appears was the case with their budget vote last week. The New York Times said colleagues appreciated her “work ethic, negotiation skills and pragmatism.”
“It is a shame that political discourse in our country has become so hyperbolic and toxic. While we have come to expect that at the Federal level, it is chilling to see it steeping into State-level politics where many public servants are only part-time politicians, and full-time community members.
“I hope that state and federal authorities can swiftly bring to justice the murderer and that this person is given the maximum possible sentence under the law. Especially since it appears that other attacks are connected and there may be evidence of further threats. We are nearing a slippery slope of political unrest in this country and law enforcement needs to make examples out of people who would commit politically motivated killings that impede the ability of democratically-elected representatives to carry out the will of their voters. More must be done in this country to tone down the rhetoric and help people learn how to empower themselves using the legislative process instead of resorting to the kind of anger-fueled violence that rocked Minnesota this weekend. I am open to any kind of cross-partisan collaboration that can help us keep our republic and civil society functioning without these kinds of threats of lethal violence.”