Security briefings crash into the once-quiet life of state lawmakers

Politico

4 hours ago

State police have advised local lawmakers across the country to be increasingly vigilant about their personal security as those members reel from a politically-motivated shooting in Minnesota that killed Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injured Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
As they mourn one colleague and worry over another, state lawmakers from Pennsylvania to Arizona are receiving security briefings on how to ensure their own safety — and grappling with what it means to be a local public official in a political environment increasingly gripped by violence, according to interviews with nearly a dozen state lawmakers.
'It has all of us on edge,' said Arizona Rep. Alma Hernandez, who experienced a shooting outside her home two days before the Minnesota tragedy. An investigation into that incident is ongoing, but Hernandez said she has been targeted by threats like publication of her address over the last year over her pro-Israel stance and consequently spent thousands of dollars on home security measures like cameras and iron bars on windows.
Hernandez is not alone in her rising concern over the risks associated with serving in state legislatures, positions once viewed as an extension of local community service that have taken on a chilling dimension.
'It is incredibly depressing to see what's going on in our country, and that political violence is on the rise, and that political violence is being normalized,' said the Tucson Democrat. It's a scary time that we're living in.'
Elected officials in multiple states have been advised to assess their home security systems, turn on location services on their devices and refrain from posting on social media in real time. In Wisconsin, House Speaker Robin Vos on Monday called for increased security ahead of an upcoming floor session, after learning that 11 lawmakers were named in a manifesto by the Minnesota shooter, who was arrested on Sunday and is facing federal and state murder charges. North Carolina General Assembly Police Chief Martin Brock told lawmakers on Monday afternoon they were 'working on enhanced security plans' to keep members safe.
In Texas, state police arrested one person on Saturday linked to 'credible threats' that person made to state lawmakers headed to an anti-Trump rally at the Capitol in Austin. Many Democrats got word of the shooting as they headed to similar demonstrations across the country, adding a layer of deep unease to the events.
'Nobody who has dedicated themselves to public service should ever be worried about that public service being used as a reason to murder or shoot or otherwise intimidate them,' said Michigan Rep. Bryan Posthumus, a Republican. 'My hope is that it's not an issue we'll have to worry about in Michigan. But you know, that's also why we have the Second Amendment.'
State police have provided daily briefings to Michigan lawmakers since the shooting, outreach that Rep. Carol Glanville said 'is really helpful, because what you see on the news comes out sort of piecemeal.'
Glanville, a Democrat who experienced gun violence several decades ago, said she's concerned the incident will keep people from running for office or volunteering in politics.
'People could be emboldened and even more motivated to participate and come out, or they might decide that this isn't something worth risking my life for, and take a step back from their participation,' she said.
For North Carolina Minority Leader Sydney Batch, the shooting was a reminder of how she's already had to learn how to be cautious in order to protect herself and her family. Over the years, Batch hired private security when threats were made against her, like for a 2020 election night watch party. And she was the target of a longtime stalker, who was recently released on parole after serving nine years in prison.
'You definitely have those days, like this weekend, where you consider whether or not the risk that you take on is worth the benefit and whether you should step back,' Batch said. The Democrat said she has considered leaving public office over those threats, yet 'quickly jettisoned it' because she believes the work as a lawmaker is too important.
Other lawmakers expressed that same resolve to stay in the job despite the risks.
'The bad guys want folks to turn away from public service,' said Pennsylvania Sen. Vincent Hughes, a Democrat. 'We may take extra precautions to make sure there's extra security available to us. But … looking around my colleagues, this is not going to drive them away.'