Dear Neighbor,
House Democrats have consistently held funding for safe schools hostage, refusing to move forward on protecting our kids unless Republicans agree to unrelated gun-control provisions.
Yet despite that, they brought a bill to the House floor this week to spend $40 million on additional security for themselves.
What makes this even worse is that the proposed Capitol security “improvements” are not improvements at all. The bill simply codifies the theatrical measures implemented this year to create the appearance of greater safety, limiting staff and member access to a single exterior entrance and screening for weapons despite lawful carry being permitted at the Capitol.
The justification House Democrats presented for this plan is deeply flawed. I reject their notion that safety requires restricting how people conduct their business or access their government.
That is not how real security works.
Just a few years ago, legislators operated out of the State Office Building. As both a legislator and a resident of this state, I was proud of the accessibility and freedom members and citizens had to enter the building where needed and conduct business openly.
Now, in the name of security, we have sacrificed personal liberty for what amounts to security theater. From an objective security standpoint, the current setup is impossible to defend. You do not need to be a tactical expert to recognize how flawed it is, yet Democrats now want to permanently codify it into law.
In many ways, we are objectively less safe because of this performative approach. And yes, it is performance. Democrats frame opposition to this bill as opposition to safety or law enforcement, but that argument falls apart immediately.
Do we not already have security? Do we not already have law enforcement officers whose job is to keep people safe? Or have we simply adopted a distorted understanding of what safety actually means?
Safety is not achieved by creating the appearance of danger or by stationing people around barriers. Safety comes from having a plan, enforcing rules, and holding people accountable when they cross the line.
On the Capitol campus, we have repeatedly seen permanent displays vandalized. We have watched crowds take over committee hearing rooms with no meaningful consequences, no arrests, and no prosecutions.
When I go to the airport, what stops me from jumping a fence is not the razor wire or physical barrier. It is the understanding that there would be immediate and serious legal consequences for violating that space. Accountability is what deters bad behavior.
If we truly want safer public spaces, then we need prosecutors willing to prosecute and commissioners focused on accountability instead of optics.
For the entire history of this institution, we managed without these measures. But suddenly we are told that without this bill there can be no safety at all?
Meanwhile, can we finally start focusing on legislation that would actually make children safer in schools?
House Republicans have made school safety a priority. We have put forward a practical, realistic, and multilayered plan with solutions schools can implement right now. We have included ideas from both sides of the aisle because protecting students should never be partisan.
Unfortunately, House Democrats continue delaying action and holding school safety hostage for political leverage. Every day we fail to act is another day schools, teachers, parents, and students are left waiting for help.
We do not need to agree on everything to make progress. Broader debates about violence reduction can continue, but they should not be used as an excuse to block common-sense school safety measures that could be passed the moment House Democrats decide to act.
Sincerely,
Walter