Famed for being wide-open in more ways than one, the Illinois Capitol bowed to post-Sept. 11 realities Tuesday, subjecting lawmakers, lobbyists, visitors and the media to a gantlet of new security measures as the legislature convened for its first full session since the terrorist attacks.
Guards searched tourists entering the statehouse with metal-detecting wands and inspected their belongings. Building regulars were required to stand in long lines to get color-coded photo IDs to hang from lanyards around their necks.
While lawmakers discussed how to pay for security–both within the building and around the state–Gov. George Ryan’s administration filled in dire details of the state budget.
This week, Ryan plans to ask state education officials to identify $50 million in administrative cuts to help plug a $500 million budget hole.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago, chairman of the state Democratic Party, unilaterally implemented new limits on access to his chamber, including a ban on the time-honored tradition of letting visiting school groups get their pictures taken on the House floor.
So tight were the new restrictions that one House lawmaker, Kurt Granberg of Carlyle, an assistant Democratic leader, was turned away because he lacked an ID card. He then retrieved his ID and was admitted.
“This is a different world that we live in. OK?” Madigan said in defense of the new rules. “This is in place for now. We’re going to move forward. But we’re going to be secure.”
In addition to limiting access for governmental staff to the House floor, Madigan’s rules say that a lawmaker celebrating a birthday can bring only one secretary with him on the House floor “to assist with cutting and passing out cake, cookies, etc.”
Many in the Capitol bristled at the new rules, including Senate President James “Pate” Philip (R-Wood Dale), who thought Madigan’s rules were “overkill.” Philip merely required that reporters show a picture ID to enter his chamber. “It’s hard for me to think that some terrorist would come here and try to do something, very honestly,” Philip said.
Even Philip had to show an ID card to get into the Capitol.
A spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White said the secretary was trying to figure out how to allow citizens “access to the people’s house” while still keeping it safe.
Meanwhile, reporters sitting in the press box on the Democratic side of the aisle were not allowed to come and go freely during the proceedings, although those assigned to seats on the Republican side were allowed open access.
“There is a tendency to overreact as the first reaction to something like this,” state Rep. Judy Erwin (D-Chicago) said. “I would certainly urge them to rethink that.”
House and Senate lawmakers also considered measures to improve homeland security. Illinois Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan detailed the latest version of his anti-terrorism plan, which would expand police powers to monitor the electronic communications of terrorists and make terrorist activity a qualifying factor for the death penalty.
Other anti-terrorism plans are taking shape as well, including one offered by state Sen. Lisa Madigan, a Chicago Democrat and candidate for Illinois attorney general, which would give broad emergency powers to the state Department of Public Health in a biological attack.
Speaker Madigan, the father of Sen. Madigan, said he is aware of “grave concerns” about Ryan’s bill, but thinks a compromise can be worked out “on a short time line.”
Hovering over all discussions of tightening security is the specter of a looming crisis in the state budget, raised by unexpected costs and lower-than-expected revenues.
“Everything is in play right now,” George Ryan said.
