State capitols reassess safety plans
More security, fences among new measures
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The insurrection by supporters of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol last week has prompted governors and lawmakers in several states to heighten security at their own capitol buildings as they gather amid a pandemic for legislative sessions and inaugural ceremonies.
Like the U.S. Capitol, statehouses are regular targets for demonstrations. Many already have armed security personnel and metal detectors that screen visitors.
But if the U.S. Capitol – a shining symbol of democracy with a dedicated police force – can be overrun by a violent mob, could state capitols be next?
Last week’s events were “a wake-up call for everybody, both in D.C. and in state capitals all across the country,” said Washington state Rep. J.T. Wilcox, the chamber’s Republican leader.
A series of smaller-scale flare-ups occurred last year at state capitols. Last spring, armed protesters entered the Michigan Capitol to object to pandemicrelated lockdowns.
Some were blocked by police while demanding entry onto the House floor, while others shouted down from the Senate gallery.
In Ohio, people upset about the death of George Floyd in Minnesota smashed 28 windows at the statehouse.
Protesters in Idaho temporarily derailed a special legislative session last August. And just a few weeks ago, crowds in Oregon forced their way into the Capitol to protest its closure to the public during a special legislative session on coronavirus measures.
On Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced he was activating up to 750 National Guard troops to join state police in patrolling the capitol in Olympia on Monday, when lawmakers return to session. He said an area will be set aside for demonstrators to hold rallies.
“But in light of the most recent insurrection activity, the state cannot tolerate any actions that could result in harm, mayhem or interruption of func
tion of democratic institutions,” he said in a statement. “Any illegal intrusion of the Capitol, state buildings or restricted areas will not be tolerated and strictly enforced.”
A right-wing militia had encouraged its members to occupy the Capitol when lawmakers meet, and that intention was echoed by several people who broke down a gate outside the governor’s mansion on Wednesday, the day Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
An organizer of the planned occupation said in a later Facebook post that the event was canceled, although it’s not clear whether others who share right-wing views plan to show up anyway.
In neighboring Idaho, where lawmakers also are scheduled to meet Monday, State Police Col. Kedrick Wills said there will be an increased presence of uniformed state troopers at the statehouse. Anxieties are high for some lawmakers.
The vast majority of state legislatures are convening this month. Though some are allowing remote participation because of coronavirus precautions, others are proceeding with regular inperson committee hearings and floor
debates.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said security has been increased around the statehouse in advance of the legislative session that begins next Wednesday. In Massachusetts, which started its legislative session last week, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Democratic legislative leaders issued a joint statement saying they were assessing the Capitol’s security in light of events in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.
In Oregon, where Trump supporters burned a life-size puppet of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday, lawmakers have pledged to review Capitol safety rules and potentially increase security for the session that begins Jan. 19.
State police that oversee the New Mexico statehouse have taken steps to coordinate security with local law enforcement agencies in case “gatherings become other than peaceful,” said state police spokesman Lt. Mark Soriano.
Some state officials are rethinking their Capitol gun policies. In Michigan, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said Thursday that he would support a ban on the open carrying of firearms in the Capitol. Minority party Democratic lawmakers want to prohibit all guns in the building.
By contrast, some Texas lawmakers are talking of bringing more guns into the Capitol to protect themselves. Licensed handgun owners already can carry firearms into the Capitol, and some lawmakers have been known to wear guns in the chamber.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is planning for more than a thousand guests to gather Monday on the lawn of the state Capitol for his inaugural ceremony. Department of Public Safety spokesman Mike O’connell said plans have been in the works for months to provide “extensive security and crowd-control.”
As a mob stormed the nation’s capitol Wednesday, supporters and opponents of Trump also clashed outside the Ohio statehouse.
Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine, a Republican, said he could not promise that the statehouse wouldn’t be breached like the U.S. Capitol.
“No one can say they’re confident,” Dewine said, adding: “We’re certainly aware that something could happen.”
Some states already had stepped up security before the violence in the nation’s capital.
A fence remains at the Minnesota Capitol after being erected last summer amid the unrest over Floyd’s killing. It was in place Wednesday when around 500 Trump supporters held what was billed as a “Storm the Capitol” rally – a noisy but peaceful gathering with no arrests. State Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said increased security staffing will continue for the immediate future.
Colorado’s Capitol also remains encircled by fencing, with concrete barriers to block vehicles and its ground floor windows boarded up after vandals damaged it following Floyd’s death.
After the U.S. Capitol siege, New Jersey state Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, leader of the chamber’s minority Republicans, raised concerns about security in public buildings.
“It is very difficult to understand how protestors were able to gain access to the Chamber in the Capitol,” Bramnick said in a tweet. “This is a very dangerous scenario that may encourage others to violate the law.”