Visitors to the Alaska State Capitol won’t need to pass through an airport-style security checkpoint, at least for now. That’s after a committee on Thursday set aside a proposal that would have beefed up screening in Juneau.
That means Alaska will remain one of seven states without a checkpoint screening visitors to the Capitol building.
Opponents say the proposal would have limited public access to legislators and the business of government. Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, said lawmakers have increased security in a number of ways over the years, from blast film on the windows to locking all but the front doors — but he said it’s important not to go too far.
"We need to be very careful before we restrict everyday Alaskans' access to their capitol building — that we're doing what's necessary, but not more," Kiehl said by phone.
The decision to table the proposal came after a three-hour closed-door discussion by the committee. The Legislative Council, a joint House and Senate committee that oversees Capitol operations outside of the normal session, cited security concerns as a reason not to talk through the proposal in public.
Lawmakers also set aside a proposal to require lawmakers, staff, lobbyists and reporters to wear color-coded ID badges. But they approved some other security-focused changes, including a decision to move the Capitol’s mailroom offsite.
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, who chairs the Legislative Council, supported adding a security checkpoint. She said mass shootings like Monday’s at a Wisconsin school underscore the need for vigilance.
"I'm disappointed [the proposal] didn't work out, but I'm hopeful that eventually we will have metal detectors, which would provide more security," Jackson said by phone. "For not just us, but our staff and the public — yeah, it's the public's house, but we want to protect the public entering into their house."
Jackson said she hopes lawmakers will reconsider adding a security checkpoint in the future.
