St. Paul, Minn– Yesterday, the House Health Finance Committee discussed bipartisan legislation to deliver a one-time honorarium appropriation of $200,000 to Helping Paws, Inc. in memory of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman.
“Melissa and Mark had a deep and genuine passion for giving back,” said Rep. Robert Bierman (DFL-Apple Valley). “They dedicated so much of their lives to lifting others up; through their work with Helping Paws, their support for first responders and veterans living with PTSD, and their commitment to Minnesotans with physical disabilities. It is a powerful testament to the extraordinary selflessness and spirit of service the Hortmans lived every day.”
Helping Paws, Inc. is an organization that breeds, trains, and places service or facility dogs with individuals who have physical disabilities; veterans and first responders living with service-related post-traumatic stress disorder; and professionals in courthouse, educational, and mental health settings.
Melissa and Mark were dedicated volunteers at Helping Paws, and ended up adopting their goofy, beloved Golden Retriever, Gilbert, after failing to meet training requirements to become a service animal.
The committee laid the bill over for future consideration in a Health budget package.
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