# Ann Rest *American politician, President pro tempore of the Minnesota Senate (DFL)* Ann H. Rest (born April 24, 1942) is an American politician and a member of the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] (DFL) who is President pro tempore of the [[Minnesota Senate]].[^1] Her Senate seat, District 43, covers part of the western suburbs of Hennepin County in the Twin Cities area.[^1] Rest served 16 years in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]], to which she was first elected in 1984. She won a Senate seat in 2000.[^2] She has held the post of President pro tempore in two periods: 2013–2017, and from 2023 to the present.[^2] Much of her committee work has concerned taxation. She chaired the House Tax Committee from 1993 to 1997, and she chairs the Senate Taxes Committee for the 2023–2026 term.[^2] On June 16, 2025, it became public that Vance Boelter had directly targeted Rest. On June 14, 2025, the evening of the attacks that killed Melissa Hortman and her husband, police had seen him parked near Rest's home in New Hope, Minnesota.[^3] ## Early life, education, and career Rest was born Ann Hiller on April 24, 1942.[^1] She finished at Rich Township High School in Park Forest, Illinois, in 1960.[^4] Her undergraduate degree, a B.A. in Latin and Greek, came from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. A Woodrow Wilson Fellowship then took her to the [[University of Chicago]] for an M.A. in the same fields.[^4] Further degrees followed: - an M.A. in teaching from Harvard University; - a master's in business taxation from the [[University of Minnesota]]; - a master's in public administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, on a Bush Fellowship.[^4] Rest came to Minnesota in 1970 and taught Latin and English at the high-school level.[^4] She was laid off from teaching in 1979. She then turned to tax-policy work and practised as a Certified Public Accountant, and is now retired from that profession.[^4] ## Minnesota Legislature Voters first sent Rest to the House in 1984 from District 46A. She won each of the seven following elections, from 1986 through 1998, for 16 years of House service.[^2] In the House she held three posts: - assistant majority leader, 1989–1991; - chair of the Tax Committee, 1993–1997; - chair of the Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Committee, 1997–1999.[^2] In 1997 Rest asked [[governor|Governor]] [[Arne Carlson]] to convene the [[Legislature]] in special session to fund a new Minnesota Twins stadium. The session ran 23 days and ended without an agreement.[^2] Rest moved to the Senate after the 2000 election. She won re-election in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2022.[^2] Her Senate posts have included: - assistant majority leader, 2003–2007; - chair of the State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee, 2007–2011; - President pro tempore, 2013–2017 and since 2023.[^2] For the 2023–2026 term she is President pro tempore. She chairs the Taxes Committee, is vice chair of the Rules Committee, and sits on the Commerce and Elections committees.[^2] Her commission roles in the same period are: - chair of the Tax Expenditure Review Commission (2023–2025); - member of the Legislative Audit Commission (2023–2027); - member of the Capitol Preservation Commission (since 2023); - member of the Great Lakes Commission; - member of the executive committee of the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus, of which she is a founding member and past president.[^2] The special legislative concerns attributed to her are tax, commerce, transit, elections and housing policy.[^2] ## Assassination attempt On June 16, 2025, it became public that Vance Boelter had directly targeted Rest.[^3] The cited account identifies Boelter as the man who killed Minnesota House Democratic Leader and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband. It also identifies him as the man who shot and seriously wounded state senator [[John Hoffman (Minnesota politician)|John Hoffman]] and his wife.[^3] On the evening of June 14, 2025, the same night as those shootings, police saw Boelter parked close to Rest's home in New Hope, Minnesota. He left after officers encountered him.[^3] The sources gathered for this article include no charging document, court filing or police report on the incident at the Rest home. The record here does not establish more than the account summarized above.[^3] ## Personal life Rest has sat on many government and community boards over the years.[^5] Her memberships include the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and the NCSL Executive Committee's Task Force on State and Local Taxation.[^5] She is a past president of the Streamline Sales Tax Governing Board and remains on its Executive Committee.[^5] Her earlier service includes the Minnesota Statehood Sesquicentennial Commission (2006–2008), the Minnesota Capitol Area Architectural Planning Board and the Capitol Preservation Commission.[^5] She is a Minnesota delegate to the Great Lakes Commission. She also helped found the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus and later served as its chair.[^5] Rest has been a Twins supporter since childhood. She followed the franchise while growing up in Virginia, when it was still the Washington Senators.[^5] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Ann H. Rest, born April 24, 1942; DFL; President pro tempore of the Minnesota Senate, 2013–2017 and 2023 to present.[^1][^2] ### What - Chair of the House Tax Committee, 1993–1997.[^2] - Chair of the Senate Taxes Committee, 2023–2026 term.[^2] - Chair of the Tax Expenditure Review Commission, 2023–2025.[^2] - Member of the Legislative Audit Commission, 2023–2027.[^2] ### When - First elected to the House in 1984 (District 46A).[^2] - Requested the 1997 special session on Twins stadium funding, which lasted 23 days without agreement.[^2] - First elected to the Senate in 2000; most recently re-elected in 2022.[^2] - Targeting reported June 16, 2025; police sighting near her home June 14, 2025.[^3] ### Where - Represents Senate District 43, in the western Hennepin County suburbs.[^1] - Her home is in New Hope, Minnesota.[^3] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Ann Rest* (revision 1379685559, retrieved 2026-10-26), lead section — birth date, birth name, DFL membership, President pro tempore office and Senate District 43. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Rest [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Ann Rest* (revision 1379685559, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Minnesota Legislature" — House and Senate election years, leadership posts, committee and commission roles, the 1997 special-session request, and stated legislative concerns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Rest [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Ann Rest* (revision 1379685559, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Assassination attempt" — June 16, 2025 report of targeting and June 14, 2025 police sighting near the New Hope home. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Rest [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Ann Rest* (revision 1379685559, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Early life, education, and career" — schooling, degrees, fellowships, 1970 move to Minnesota, teaching career, 1979 layoff and CPA work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Rest [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Ann Rest* (revision 1379685559, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Personal life" — board and commission memberships and Twins allegiance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Rest