BIT.

APPRECIATE YOU COMING.

>> I WOULD LOVE IT.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: UP NEXT, ELECTED OFFICIALS SAY THERE'S BEEN A STEADY RISE IN THREATS AGAINST THEM.

THE MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL, ALONG WITH HOUSE AND SENATE OFFICE BUILDINGS, DO NOT HAVE METAL DETECTORS LIKE MOST STATE CAPITOLS.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER HAS UNCOVERED A NEW PLAN TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE SECURITY MEASURES AT THE CAPITOL AND HAS THIS EXCLUSIVE REPORT.

>> Mr. PRESIDENT, FOLLOW THE RULES!

>> ALL: [ SHOUTING ] >> Mary: FOR MANY YEARS, TENSIONS HAVE BEEN BUILDING AT THE CAPITOL.

SECURITY IS STRICTER AND MORE VISIBLE THIS SESSION.

AND CONCENTRATED IN THE CAPITOL THIS WEEK IN PARTICULAR.

CONFIRMED BY THE ED OF THE STATE PAROLE SECURITY WHO HAS PRIMARY JURISDICTION.

>> THE TIME HAS COME FOR US TO PROVIDE BETTER SECURITY HERE AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN COMING HERE FOR FOUR DECADES.

AND THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE POLARIZATION IN OUR COUNTRY AND LOCALLY, THE INTENSITY OF FEELINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE, SOMETIMES THAT TURNS TO ANGER.

AND THE REALITY IS, ANGER CAN TURN TO VIOLENCE.

>> Mary: WE AGUIRREED THIS LETTER FROM THE RAMSEY COUNTY SHERIFF CALLING FOR METAL DETECTORS, X-RAY MACHINES AND SECURITY CHECKPOINTS.

HE SAYS TIMES HAVE CHANGED AND POLICY MUST TOO, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

>> IT'S OUR JOB TO ROTECT PEOPLE HERE, NOT JUST THE LEGISLATORS, THE MEDIA, TESTIFIERS, YOUNG KIDS IN THESE GROUPS THAT WE'VE JUST SEEN THAT ARE COMING IN HERE.

WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THERE'S NO WEAPONS HERE AND THE LEGISLATURE CAN DEBATE WHETHER PERMIT HOLDERS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO COME IN.

>> Mary: THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS FOUND THAT THE VAST AJORITY, AT LEAST 73% OF STATE CAPITOLS, USE METAL DETECTORS AND 61% USE X-RAY MACHINES.

MORE SEATS OF GOVERNMENT HAVE ADDED NEW SECURITY MEASURES SINCE THE STUDY WAS DONE, INCLUDING HAWAII.

>> OUR RESEARCH IS THAT 37 OF THE 50 HAVE METAL DETECT YOURS.

YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE MAY BE AN ADDITIONAL ONE.

SURPRISINGLY, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND IOWA HAVE CHECKPOINTS AT THEIR ENTRANCES.

AND THERE'S PROBABLY LESS POLITICAL CONTROVERSY IN NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTH DAKOTA THAN HERE.

>> Mary: DO YOU HAVE INTEREST IN BEEFING UP SECURITY IN THIS BUILDING?

>> I'M NOT LOOKING AT METAL DETECTORS OR NICK LIKE THAT, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE SECURITY SITUATION.

>> AWAY FROM MY PERSONAL SPACE AND STOP YELLING IN MY FACE.

>> THE CURRENT LEGISLATURE HAS MORE MEMBERS WHO HAVE SERVED AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS THAN ANY WE CAN RECALL, CURRENTLY IN THE HOUSE, WE COUNT SEVEN MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN FIRST RESPONDERS AND THEY'RE INCREASINGLY BEING HEARD.

>> I HAVEN'T SAT DOWN, I SHOULD PROBABLY DO THIS AT SOME POINT AND FIGURE OUT HOW MANY YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT WE HAVE STANDING JUST IN THIS ROOM.

REPUBLICANS ROLLED OUT THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY PLANS, WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE STATE CAPITOL?

I THINK WE'RE KIND OF UNUSUAL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WE'VE LEFT THE BUILDING VERY OPEN AND IT'S A TENSE TIME ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

>> MARY, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS AND THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT SUBJECT, AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS BEHIND ME, WE HAVE OUR -- HAVE OUR OPINIONS ABOUT THINGS AND AFTER LAST WEEK'S THING, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE HOPE TO MAKE IT SAFE FOR EVERYONE TO BE HERE.

>> Mary: DO YOU CARRY AT THE CAPITOL?

DO YOU KNOW IF MEMBERS -- >> NEXT QUESTION.

>> Mary: WHILE THIS FORMER OFFICER WON'T DISCLOSE IF HE'S CARRYING A WEAPON AT THE CAPITOL, WE HAVE SEEN LAWMAKERS CARRYING GUNS HERE AND KNOW IT'S AN INCREASING TREND.

>> I DON'T PERSONALLY HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO LAWMAKERS CARRYING WEAPONS.

OUR JUDGES IN THE RAMSEY COUNTY COURTHOUSE, MANY OF THEM CARRY.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH, IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T TAKEN STEPS TO MITIGATE THE SAFETY THREAT THAT THEY FEEL THEY NEED TO HAVE A GUN.

>> Mary: MINNESOTA'S ORIGINAL CONCEAL-CARRY LAW HAD REQUIRED PEOPLE IN THE CAPITOL TO REPORT TO PUBLIC SAFETY IF THEY WERE ARMED IN THE BUILDING.

BUT STATE PAROLE SAYS THAT PORTION OF THE LAW WAS REPEALED.

WE HAVE NO IDEA ON ANY GIVEN DAY ANYMORE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CARRYING IN THIS BUILDING.

> >> WELL, THAT'S REALLY UP TO THE LEGISLATURE TO DECIDE THE FINAL POLICY.

IT CAN WORK EITHER WAY.

IT CAN WORK WITH MEMBERS BEING ALLOW AID TO CARRY.

IT WITH WORK WITH PERMIT HOLDERS BEING ALLOWED TO CARRY.

AT THE STATE FAIR, WE DON'T ALLOW PERMIT HOLDERS TO COME IN.

>> Mary: AT THE U.S. CAPITOL, SOME HOUSE REPUBLICANS REFUSED TO PASS NEWLY INSTALLED METAL DETECTORS -- >> EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE INTENSITY OF THE POLITICAL DEBATE IN THIS COUNTRY AND THIS STATE IS AT ITS HIGHEST POINT EVER.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE ANGER ON BOTH EXTREMES.

>> Mary: IN REACTION TO OUR REPORT, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SAYS, UOTE, "PROTECTING THOSE WHO WORK IN, VISIT, AND GATHER AT THE CAPITOL IS A TOP PRIORITY, AND WE TAKE THIS RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY."

THE SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS RAISED BY THE SHERIFF AND OTHERS ARE REGULARLY REVIEWED AND ISCUSSED.

D.F.L.

SENATE LEADER ERIN MURPHY TELLS ME, QUOTE, "THERE'S BEEN A STEADY RISE IN THREATS DIRECTED T OFFICIALS.

STAFF HAVE ASSESSED NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES AND THEIR APPLICATION HERE AT HOME.

THIS IMPORTANT WORK IS ONGOING AND RECENT INCIDENTS HAVE SHOWN THERE IS A REASON TO