>> Eric: MOMENTUM BUT NO REAL ACTION YET ON INCREASING CAPITOL SECURITY IN THE WAKE OF A HORRIFIC POLITICAL ASSASSINATION.

REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER HAS BEEN EXPLORING THE ISSUE OF THE SAFETY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR YEARS AND SHOWS US HOW AT LEAST ONE LAWMAKER IS NO LONGER DOING PUBLIC EVENTS OUT OF CONCERN FOR HER SAFETY.

>> AS THE MEMORIAL FOR REPRESENTATIVE HORTMAN CONTINUES TO GROW INSIDE THE STATE CAPITOL, SO TOO ARE THE CONCERNS OF LAWMAKERS FOR THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY.

>> I FEEL LIKE MY JOB HAS CHANGED QUITE A LOT.

MY HUSBAND'S A SENATOR, HE'S BEEN IN OFFICE 11 YEARS BE I'VE BEEN HERE 13 YEARS SO I'VE BEEN AROUND THIS PLACE LONG TIME.

I HAVE ALWAYS FELT CONCERN BECAUSE IT'S SO OPEN AND SO PUBLIC AND IT HAS TO BE.

BUT STILL VERY AWARE OF MY SURROUNDINGS AND EVEN MORE SO NOW AT MY HOME.

>> LEGISLATORS HAVE BEEN GIVEN ACCESS TO FUNDS FOR SOME INCREASES FOR SECURITY AT THEIR HOMES SINCE THE SHOOTINGS, BUT THEY ARE STILL SERIOUSLY CHANGING HOW THEY SERVE.

>> THIS WAS A REALLY HARD DECISION FOR ME BUT BECAUSE OF ALSO THE THREAT THAT CAME FROM THE LOBBYIST WHO I'D WORKED WITH FOR TEN YEARS, IT BECAME INCREDIBLY PERSONAL FOR YSELF AND MY HUSBAND WHO ALSO IS IN THAT REALM.

I MADE THE DECISION THAT I'M NOT DOING ANY PUBLIC EVENTS THAT ARE EXPECTED, THAT LAWMAKERS WILL BE THERE UNTIL THINGS REALLY COOL DOWN.

>> CALLS FOR INCREASED SECURITY AT THE CAPITOL ARE ALSO GAINING ATTENTION.

>> WELL, THE PUBLIC HERE IS ASKED TO GO THROUGH THE METAL DETECTION, HAVE THEIR BAGS X-RAYED JUST LIKE AT AN AIRPORT.

>> >> HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN HERE?

>> OVER 20 YEARS, AFTER 9/11 WE TOOK STEPS, WE WERE THE FIRST COURTHOUSE TO HAVE METAL DETECTION AND SECURITY.

>> SIX MONTHS AGO BEFORE THE WORST ACT OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN STATE HISTORY, THE SHERIFF STOOD INSIDE THE CAPITOL WITH US CALLING FOR CTION AND METAL DETECTORS.

>> WELL, I'M HOPING THAT MOST LEGISLATORS AGREE THAT THE TIME HAS COME.

YOU HAVE SOMEWHAT COMPETING VISIONS OF WHAT ACCESS IS BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, EVERY TIME I HEAR THAT ARGUMENT BOUT FREE ACCESS, THE PUBLIC WOULD RATHER KNOW THAT THEY'RE IN A SAFE SPACE.

>> WHAT'S THE PROBLEM ON THE LEFT AND WHAT'S THE PROBLEM ON THE RIGHT ON GETTING THIS DONE?

>> WELL, I TRIED TO ALLUDE THAT IN MY LETTER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DISAGREEMENTS OVER PERMITS TO CARRY AND THEN ON THE OTHER END WE'LL HAVE DISAGREEMENTS OVER CREATING A LAW AND ORDER IMAGE OF OUR CAPITOL.

SO REALLY THE MIDDLE GROUND RIGHT NOW IS THE LARGE BAGS, THE ARGE BAGS FOR ME ARE THE MOST TROUBLING BECAUSE WE ARE RIGHT NOW ALLOWING PEOPLE TO BRING LARGE AUTOMATIC WEAPONS IN THEIR DUFFEL BAGS.

THEY CAN WALK RIGHT INTO ANY ENTRANCE AND EASILY TAKE OUT A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

>> THIS SESSION WE REVEALED MORE LAWMAKERS WERE VISIBLY CARRYING WEAPONS IN THE CAPITOL AND EVEN MORE ARE ARMING THEMSELVES SINCE THE SHOOTINGS.

>> SO I WAS JUST ABLE TO KIND OF GRAB HIM, KIND OF COAX HIM OUT THE DOOR.

>> ALMOST A DECADE AGO, 75-YEAR-OLD SENATOR SENJEM STOPPED AN INTRUDER ON THE SENATE FLOOR WHO GOT PAST SECURITY.

>> GOD BLESS DAVE, HE'S ONE OF MY HEROES BUT IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN THAT WAY, RIGHT?

>> A BIPARTISAN, BICAMERAL GROUP OF LAWMAKERS SERVING ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CAPITOL AREA SECURITY SAY THEY'RE OMMITTED TO WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEIR COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE LEGISLATURE, BUT OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, THEY CONTINUE TO REFRAIN FROM MAKING ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE TOPIC OF CAPITOL SECURITY.

>> AS SOON AS MY SHERIFF KNEW WHAT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING AND THAT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR HIM TO ACTUALLY GET THAT INFORMATION PROPERLY OUT THEN I HAD A DEPUTY AND I THINK I SAW HIM, IT FELT LIKE ANYWAY, EVERY TEN MINUTES FRONT, EVERY TEN MINUTES BACK.

>> THE ORGANIZED NOTIFICATION OF LAWMAKERS IS ANOTHER ISSUE THE SHERIFF IS HIGHLIGHTING.

>> IT WAS A TRAGIC, HORRIFIC EVENT IN GENERAL BUT THAT SHOULDN'T PREVENT US FROM SAYING, HEY, HOW COULD WE BE BETTER?

AND THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS, BOTH OF THE LEGISLATORS THAT WERE ON THE TARGET LIST AND LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING THOSE LEGISLATORS WAS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE.

I MEAN, I DIDN'T CALL A CALL 'TIL QUARTER TO 7:00, KEEP IN MIND HE HOFFMANS' SHOOTING WAS AT 2:00, MELISSA'S MURDER AT 3:30.

AND 6:45 IS WHEN I'M NOTIFIED THAT SOMETHING'S GONE ON.

>> THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY WE ACQUIRED TELETYPE BELLETINS THAT WENT OUT AT 4:25 AND 4:40:00 A.M. ABOUT THE SHOOTINGS AT A SENATOR'S AND REPRESENTATIVE'S HOUSE.

ADVISING AGENCIES TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE RESIDENCES OF ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR SOMEONE IMPERSONATING AN OFFICER.

>> WHY ARE WE HIDING WHAT HAPPENED?

YOU TALK TO LEGISLATORS, NOBODY REALLY KNEW WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE THERE WAS A DESIRE TO KEEP THINGS SECRET.

THERE WAS NO NEED TO KEEP THINGS SECRET.

>> COMMON CAUSE SAYS THE PUBLIC MUST BE INVOLVED IN CHANGES TO CAPITOL SECURITY AND ALLEGES CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING IN PRIVATE.

>> PARTISANSHIP HAS BEEN GROWING AND I THINK THE EXTREMES ON BOTH SIDES HAVE GOTTEN MORE EXTREME.

AND SO I'VE JUST MADE THE DECISION THAT I'M NOT GOING TO DO PUBLIC EVENTS FOR A WHILE.

>> REPRESENTATIVE RARICK HAS RETURNED TO PAINTING WHILE PRAYING FOR THE HORTMAN CHILDREN WHO ARE THE SAME AGE AS HER KIDS.

>> I FELT REALLY COMPELLED THAT I WAS GOING TO DO A PIECE FOR THE HORTMAN CHILDREN AND IT'S JUST A LITTLE EXAMPLE OF WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AND I'M GOING TO DO THIS PIECE FOR THEM.

I DON'T KNOW HOW BIG, BUT I'LL PUT THE PRAYER ON THE BACK AND SEND IT TO THEM.