The highest-ranking Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly said Thursday he does not want to "fortify" the state Capitol even as lawmakers consider ways to bolster safety following a spate of recent attacks on public figures.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos made the remarks a day after the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus and roughly three months after the targeted shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers at their homes. Vos said he was reluctant to turn the Capitol into a hardened facility because most violent incidents have occurred away from government buildings.
"I don't want to fortify a single building to make people feel safer when the reality is that most of the violence that has occurred has not been inside a government building," Vos said as the Assembly prepared to vote on a series of bills. He said lawmakers are looking at ways to bolster security at locations where legislators may be more vulnerable, including their homes.
The Wisconsin Capitol is among the most accessible in the nation. It has its own police force housed in the basement, but it is not protected by metal detectors, screening checkpoints or X-ray machines. Anyone can walk into the building between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and proceed directly to lawmakers' offices. A 2024 state audit found Wisconsin was one of 11 state capitols without metal detectors and one of 19 without X-ray scanning for items brought into the building.
Some Republican lawmakers, including state Sen. Chris Kapenga, have supported adding metal detectors and restricting firearms in the building to lawmakers only. Wisconsin is one of seven states that allow concealed weapons in the capitol, according to a 2021 report from the Council of State Governments; 36 states prohibit concealed weapons inside their capitol buildings.
On Thursday, three police officers were stationed outside the Assembly entrance, and members of the public occupied the galleries during debate. There were no visible additional security measures inside the chamber.
Democratic leaders said they, too, are discussing ways to increase safety for staff, visitors and children who visit the building. "This is top of mind for many of our colleagues and, of course, the staff who work in the Capitol as well, the press, the guests, the children that come through this building on Capitol visits," Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer said.
After the shootings of Minnesota lawmakers in June, several legislatures that were still meeting at the time took immediate steps to bolster security. Numerous states moved to better protect lawmakers' personal information and reassess procedures for public access. Many of those changes focused on safeguarding residences and personal data rather than transforming capitol buildings into restricted facilities.
Vos framed the debate in Wisconsin around where violence has occurred and where security investments could most effectively reduce risk. Lawmakers from both parties said conversations about security will continue as officials weigh changes that would affect public access to the Capitol and the safety of elected officials and staff.