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Wisconsin Republican leader says he doesn’t want to ‘fortify’ the state Capitol

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The highest-ranking Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly said Thursday that he doesn’t want to “fortify” the state Capitol, which is one of the country’s most accessible statehouses, but that lawmakers are looking at ways to bolster safety in other areas such as at officeholders’ homes.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos’ comments came a day after the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah and three months after the targeted shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers. Vos was asked about security before the Wisconsin Assembly met to vote on a series of bills.

Vos said he doesn’t want to “fortify a single building to make people feel safer when the reality is that most of the violence that has occurred has not been inside a government building.”

Legislatures in most states have finished meeting for the year, but those like Wisconsin’s that were still in session in June did take steps to bolster security immediately after the Minnesota attacks, which happened at the lawmakers’ homes. Numerous states took action to protect lawmakers’ personal information.

In light of the Kirk shooting, the Arizona Senate is exploring adding weapon detection and “possibly beefing up additional security measures,” said Senate Republican spokesperson Kim Quintero.

The Wisconsin Capitol has its own police force housed in the basement, but the building is not protected by metal detectors, screening checkpoints or X-rays. Anyone can walk in off the street between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the week and go straight to the offices of state lawmakers and others.

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