As safety concerns for lawmakers grow, what security options are there?

Yahoo

2 days ago

The Brief
Two Minnesota lawmakers were shot Saturday morning as part of what law enforcement officials described as a coordinated "political assassination."
A Minnesota law passed in 2021 allows candidates for state office to use up to $3,000 in campaign money for home security cameras.
Thirteen candidates in Minnesota used campaign funds for home security cameras, according to a FOX 9 Investigators review of campaign spending records.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Elected officials in Minnesota are on heightened alert following the targeted shootings of two state lawmakers and a plot to target even more.
Concerns over lawmaker safety
While it's unclear if anything would have prevented the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers, the safety and security of state lawmakers has been a concern for years.
"What's available to them, what security they have, were really inconsistent," said Gowri Ramachandran, of the Brennan Center. "It really depended on the state."
About 43% of state legislators nationwide experienced threats or attacks within the past three years, according to a report by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU.
Funds for security cameras
In 2021, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law allowing candidates of state office to use campaign funds up to $3,000 to pay for home security cameras. Both Democrats and Republicans supported the measure.
Since the law was passed, 13 candidates have used that funding to pay for home security cameras, according to a FOX 9 Investigators review of campaign spending.
"On some level, it seems small," said Gowri Ramachandran of the Brennan Center at NYU, which tracks political violence. "They may feel that they need to spend every dollar of those campaign funds on mailers or getting out with their constituents and getting to know them – so in a way, I'm not surprised."
Addresses removed
Following the shootings, the Minnesota State Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board removed the street addresses for all campaign finance entities, including candidates, campaign officials, and lobbyists.
The removal of addresses will likely remain in place until further guidance from the Legislature.