On the Action Line program on KINY radio in Juneau, Rep. Sara Hannan of downtown Juneau said that Legislative Council is looking at beefing up security measures for the Alaska Capitol.
She said on Tuesday that the Jan. 6 protest that surged into the U.S. Capitol, and the general tenor of politics in this era are driving forces to look at greater security measures in what is arguably one of the most open legislative halls in the nation.
“Whether it’s we talk about a year ago, Jan. 6 or just the tenor and tone of politics in America, looking at policies governing the security in the building are timely,” she said, reflecting a growing trend around the nation of government being afraid of the people it serves.
Legislative Council has been discussing building security measures for several months.
Hannan didn’t say what security measures would be enacted by the council, which she chairs, and said those measures are still being discussed in subcommittees. The full council, which is the governing body for the Legislature itself, will meet on Thursday at 1 pm, streamed live on AKL.tv.
Hannan noted that the building currently has no restrictions other than mandatory masks for everyone in the building.
The Legislative Council is also in the process of reviewing its contract with Beacon Health, which has provided Covid testing for the legislators and staff at the Capitol.
The Legislature will be in session starting Jan. 18, 2022.
