It’s back to business as usual at the state Capitol building, following months of locked doors, metal detectors, and extra police. The metal detectors put in place during the debate and protests over the Governor’s collective bargaining law came down last week and all eight main doors to the building are scheduled to open today for the first time since March.
Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch recalls the chaos earlier this year during the protests over the bill, when thousands of people were entering the building each day and sleeping inside each night. Even after police locked down the building, Huebsch says he witnessed people climbing through windows on the ground floor of the building.
Huebsch regrets not having a better grasp on Capitol security as the protests ramped up, which could have helped to avoid many of the problems they encountered. He says he didn’t fully understand his role from the beginning, and takes responsibility for letting the situation get out of hand.
With the debate over the state budget bill done and the state Supreme Court settling the initial legal challenge over the collective bargaining bill, only minimal protesters have been around the Capitol recently.
