With the low-hanging fruit already picked, Capitol security focus moves to guns

The Minnesota Capitol security debate is about to become a gun control debate.

At a hearing Wednesday of the Advisory Committee of Capitol Area Security, Sen. Bonnie Westlin, DFL-Plymouth, pivoted from kind words about Melissa and Mark Hortman and John and Yvette Hoffman to declare that, “No topic should be off the table. We need to fully explore every topic that impacts the security of the people who come to the building and that is going to include a conversation about weapons detection.”

Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, a member of the committee, said that weapons screenings have bolstered security in the state’s courtrooms.

“The Minnesota Capitol is often called the people’s house and no one believes that more than I do, but I also believe that the time has come