OLYMPIA – The leaders of all four caucuses in the Washington State Legislature released the following statement regarding the assassination and attempted assassinations of Minnesota elected officials:
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and we are sending wishes for a complete recovery to Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. We stand with state and local law enforcement in Minnesota as they pursue the person responsible for this act of violence. While we don’t yet know his exact motivations, there is no doubt that this kind of political violence stokes panic and distrust in our system of democracy. We must stand united against it, no matter our party allegiance or personal beliefs.
“We are Americans before we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents and as Americans we need to continue to stand for truth, decency, democracy, and freedom. As political leaders of our caucuses we stand together to condemn all violence that threatens the safety of Washingtonians.”