No guns in the galleries?
Even a gun-friendly Legislature has its limits.
Sen. Kim Brimer says the Senate will install metal detectors in its galleries within the next few weeks for the duration of the session after some senators have been stalked and threatened to the point where Brimer’s worried about a terrorist incident.
Brimer, chairman of the Senate committee that oversees these things, said he recognizes that the move may draw some criticism from people who don’t like the Legislature’s loosening of gun controls – including one that would let employees keep guns in their cars in the parking lots of businesses – but says he can’t compromise the security of the Senate.
“It’s a damned if you do and damned if you don’t type of deal,” he says. “It’s more severe type threats. It’s not just guns, it has to do with explosives,” he said. “More terrorist oriented. A larger group of people could be injured, and we just feel like we have the capabilities, and the members are all interested in doing it, so it’s a sign of the times.”
When it goes into effect, anyone – lobbyist, guests, school kids, local delegations – who wants to sit above the chambers and watch them live in action would have to go through a metal detector.
Brimer says he originally wanted them in the entrances of the Capitol but couldn’t get House Admin Chairman Tony Goolsby on board.
Goolsby still isn’t sold on detectors in the galleries, either, though as of this morning he hadn’t told Brimer.
“We don’t see any need to do it in the House side. I have a little concern about some idiot getting in that gallery and throwing something down, but that’s only happened twice since I’ve been here.”
(There's a joke in there somewhere...)
Starting in August, though, Goolsby says the Capitol is starting “a whole security deal” on the front doors – metal detectors, presumably – in August.
Right now, DPS officials here say that guns – with CHL’s of course, Texas’ version of a library card – are allowed in all the public areas of the Capitol. No! the floor, but in the galleries, committee rooms, rotundas, etc. How that would work with the detectors, the captain here says, remains to be seen.
Anyone remember when they did that right after 911? Thankfully, the detectors at the front doors were out by the time session started.
I’ll tell you one thing. If I have to spend every day of every session standing in line behind 300 school kids (and I mean, that’s a conservative estimate some days) just to get to work, I’ll shoot my own self.