Minnesota shootings spotlight growing safety risks facing lawmakers

Axios

15 hours ago

The targeted shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers this weekend underscore a grim trend: An increasingly volatile political climate has left state and local officials more exposed than ever to threats and harassment.
The big picture: The assassination of longtime House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman, and attempted slaying of DFL state Sen. John Hoffman, have drawn a national, bipartisan outpouring of grief and condemnation.
But most of the abuse elected state officials endure still flies under the radar, even though signs are mounting that the problem has grown worse, particularly since 2020, experts say.
By the numbers: Nationally, 43% of state lawmakers reported facing threats during their most recent term in office and the preceding campaign, according to a 2024 survey published by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Nearly half of women lawmakers said the abuse lessened their desire to seek reelection or higher office.
Two in five women lawmakers of color said they'd experienced hostility that was sexual in nature.
The intrigue: Republican lawmakers were more likely than Democrats to report that abuse had gotten more frequent since they took office.
Many GOP reps experienced greater pressure from within their own party to take hardline stances, Gowri Ramachandran, the Brennan Center's director of elections and security, told Axios.
Friction point: It's a "massive concern" among lawmakers that such risks and toxicity could discourage people from seeking political office, Ramachandran said.
Lawmakers told Ramachandran they welcome "vigorous dissent," but fear discourse had degraded so far that both their supporters and critics might "feel like they have to fear for their lives in order to participate."
Zoom out: In the nation's capital, the Minnesota shootings have prompted many rank-and-file members of Congress — many of whom don't have personal security details — to demand stepped-up protection, Axios' Andrew Solender reported.
Threats against members, their families and staff more than doubled between 2017 and 2020, according to U.S. Capitol Police, and the numbers have grown since.
Threat level: The public nature of the job heightens the risk.
Until recently, some Minnesota lawmakers' home addresses were listed on their easily-searchable legislative bio pages. Though they now appear to have been removed, their addresses can still be found in other public filings.
What they're saying: Ramachandran told Axios that other states offer potential solutions.
Delaware and California have address confidentiality programs that "balance" the need for transparency under campaign finance laws with the need to ensure lawmakers' security.
Ramachandran urged states to train lawmakers on making their offices more secure without making constituents feel unwelcome or like they're "on lockdown."
What we're watching: Whether security policies change at the State Capitol, where visitors currently do not need to pass through metal detectors.
Some lawmakers publicly asked for more exploration of weapon detection systems in January 2024.
GOP State Sen. Jim Abeler told the Star Tribune after this weekend's shooting that "the times of [an] extremely open Capitol is probably done."
The fine print: ​​Bryan Pierick, assistant sergeant at arms for the Minnesota Senate, declined to comment Sunday on any current or planned changes to security protocols, citing an active investigation.
Officials with the Minnesota State Patrol, which handles Capitol security, stressed to lawmakers in 2024 that it was ready with "plans, equipment and training" should an armed attack ever take place on campus.