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The Advisory Committee on Capitol Security will meet Wednesday morning to consider possible changes in security protocols following the shootings of two lawmakers and their spouses in June and a break in at the Capitol last month.
The panel is expected to run through current security measures, field public testimony and issue recommendations about steps that could ensure legislators, Capitol staff and members of the public are safe on the Capitol complex. They could also weigh strategies to keep lawmakers safe when they’re off campus.
While the recommendation could be significant, it’s likely not the final step in implementing new security measures. The Legislature and Gov. Tim Walz would likely need to sign off on proposals that require new state funding or law changes. Plans to put in metal detectors, ban guns on the premises and require bag checks would likely be among those.
Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia, sits on the board and he said any changes would likely take time. The Legislature isn’t scheduled to return until February.
“I think that there is a desire by some to implement a great many changes prior to our return in February, but I would point out to people that there would be required statutory changes that cannot be executed until we come back in February,” Nash said. “So if you’re going to do certain things that require us to pass a bill, you have to wait.”
The Republican also noted the state’s tight budget situation. Changes that require additional state funds could face a tough path through the Legislature. The board has requested additional funding for security measures in the past and at last report earlier this year it said the unfunded need is more than $39 million.
Gov. Tim Walz is not a member of the board, but he said the panel should strike a balance between easy access for the public and safeguards that could weed out bad actors.
“What I would say is, if you have to walk through one door and you have to walk through a metal detector, and you can’t be carrying a gun, I don’t think that prohibits you from doing everything you need to do,” he said.
The DFL governor recommended banning firearms from the Capitol complex and installing metal detectors in the Capitol building. Minnesota is one of just a few states that doesn’t have metal detectors at the Capitol.
Ahead of the meeting, the Department of Public Safety took some steps to shore up security on the Capitol complex. Public entrances were reduced to two from three and officers more consistently monitor those doorways.
The department also installed alarms on all external doors to notify security if a door is propped or left open. The man who gained unauthorized access to the Capitol last month propped a door open with a wooden wedge and re-entered after hours.
The department is also hiring 20 additional Capitol security officers. Officials said those officers should be in place early next year.
The House of Representatives and Senate have also made funding available to legislators to add security systems at their homes. They said the enhanced security measures were important since lawmakers face threats outside the Capitol.
House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot in their homes in June. The Hortmans died of their injuries. The Hoffmans are still recovering from gunshot wounds.
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