In shadow of lawmaker shootings, task force works to address safety outside state Capitol

NINA MOINI: Well, the recent shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses have brought to the forefront the issue of safety at the State Capitol. For two years, a state task force has been working on a plan to improve the safety and quality of life in the surrounding neighborhood. The legislature this year approved $3 million to help pay for the plan, which includes public safety and programs for youth. Lawmakers who represent the area are hosting an event for this initiative later this afternoon outside the Capitol. DFL Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega is on the line. Thank you very much for your time this afternoon.

MARÍA ISA PÉREZ-VEGA: Thank you for the invitation.

NINA MOINI: And also, we're very happy to have Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher on the line. Thank you very much as well, Sheriff.

BOB FLETCHER: Thank you.

NINA MOINI: Representative, I'd love to start with you. These plans have been in the works for a while, as we mentioned in the introduction there. Would you tell folks who maybe don't travel to the area a lot or live in the area just about the surrounding neighborhood around the Capitol, and what makes it important to focus on?

MARÍA ISA PÉREZ-VEGA: Absolutely. Well, I have the honor to represent District 65B in the Minnesota House where the Capitol stands. It's in St. Paul's Capitol Complex. This is kind of like its own community right outside of downtown St. Paul alongside the Rice Street and even going on to the housing of Mount Airy. People don't really understand that the Capitol Complex really stretches out into the St. Paul communities. And so when we think about who is on the Capitol Complex, it's not just lawmakers but it's children. It's families. It's folks that are getting onto transportation. So all of that has to be circled around in focusing on initiatives that are going to keep us safe, and that's number one.

And this vision as far as what we're going to be celebrating today that we'll go more in depth with for the Capitol Area Community Vitality Kickoff is really a multiyear initiative focused on bringing safety, community, youth, family, and vitality of creating more opportunities in St. Paul's capital city.

NINA MOINI: So wanting to bring people in the area into the conversation and engage with them--

MARÍA ISA PÉREZ-VEGA: Absolutely.

NINA MOINI: --as well. Sheriff, from a law-enforcement standpoint, what are the public safety needs or a few of them that you've really seen in the area that you would like to focus on?

BOB FLETCHER: Well, if the capitol is the people's house, we want to make sure that the backyard and the neighborhood around the people's house is safe so that there is comfort and safety and vitality in the neighborhood. And so, of course, light rail in the corner of Rice and University. It's a priority for us to make sure that the rail is safe and that there's not fentanyl use. We're going to clean things up in terms of some of the danger that exists in that immediate neighborhood.

But in addition to that, the Rice Street corridor, the businesses there, they're looking for some support of law enforcement and public safety. And, of course, in the Capitol Heights neighborhood, it's a very strong, sound neighborhood, but we want to keep it that way. We want neighbors to know that we're there for them.

And I do want to say that there's been three years of community input on this, and the representatives and senators have been very helpful, but the neighborhood's really pushed and built this plan, and now we're just really executing it.

NINA MOINI: That's good context. Yes, thank you.

Representative Pérez-Vega, the planning for this project, like we talked about, has obviously been ongoing. These are ongoing things that people really want to focus in on because they care about their community and this area that everybody in this state, to your points, can use. But, of course-- and my condolences, again, of course, for the passing of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark and the shooting of Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who are both recovering, thankfully. Representative, how has this time changed, if in any way, some of the priorities for this project, or are you looking at it any differently since?

MARÍA ISA PÉREZ-VEGA: First and foremost, thank you for your condolences as this has been a month of extreme challenge but also reflection. And I worked closely prior to being the elected official representing this district. It was five years ago that I was appointed to the Public Engagement Task Force through the Capitol Area Architecture and Planning Board, and I was appointed by Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor, who is the chair of that board, Peggy Flanagan. These are the conversations that had rooted, like Sheriff Fletcher said, from community that has been speaking up to make things safer for the overall community but most importantly, yes, for us as lawmakers while we're doing the people's work and inviting the people to come to their home.

The conversations that will be input and continuing on as we work to continue legislation to support these initiatives have already been in the works. I've worked very closely with our Sheriff Fletcher as well as with my other colleague of the district 65, Representative Hussein, because safety is number one. And if we are going to be inviting folks, we need ourselves as lawmakers as well and everyday people who are working in the area to feel safe, and that's what the input of community brings. It's letting us have collective efforts on what is seen in the open that needs to be taken seriously.

I, as the rep in this area, have built on conversations of what that looks like when we talk about our town halls, when we talk about just field trips, bringing in our students. And I am so appreciative of the vision and direction from Sheriff Fletcher and his team because the work, it doesn't just start today. It's been ongoing, and these are the challenges that we are not going to ignore at all and that we're going to ensure that there is enforcement of our law to make sure that folks feel protected in and outside of the capitol.

NINA MOINI: And it has been--

BOB FLETCHER: Nina, if I can mention--

NINA MOINI: Sorry, go ahead. Of course.

BOB FLETCHER: Oh, I was going to say that there are several prongs to public safety. Of course, the Capitol Complex itself and the discussions going on with security and metal detectors are part of it. I expect the lieutenant governor will have something to say about it. But the surrounding neighborhoods, the parking lots, the places that people park to come to the capitol-- but with the legislators, their homes are now potentially targets. And so we have to put a multipronged approach, and we need to look at events that they go to. Do we need to provide safety at some town halls or parades? I've talked to a lot of legislators that are afraid to go out right now.

And so we need solutions for all of those, including technology to help inform people in a timely fashion, such as if there is a threat to any legislators, we need to let them all know. So we're working on a number of different prongs here to improve the overall safety.

NINA MOINI: Yeah, and you mentioned Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan chairs the committee that is looking into, in the past month and before and moving forward, any changes. And I know it's multifaceted in many ways, but for the sake of we just have a couple minutes left, I'd like to get both of your opinions, if I could, on metal detectors. At first glance, it's kind of like, why not? But then some people also say that it could also make people feel-- make people ultimately less safe because then there's less monitoring, and people could circumvent the metal detectors.

Sheriff, I'd like to start with you. Tell me about your support for the metal detectors, why it's time.

BOB FLETCHER: Well, I'm a big supporter of metal detectors and bag searches. The last three years, we've seen significant increases in political violence.

But here's what I want your listeners to understand. Safety and security inside the Capitol Complex actually increases accessibility to your lawmakers because if everyone knows they're safe inside that complex, it's far easier for lawmakers to come out, have those conversations in the rotunda and other places. If we don't provide a secure environment, then accessibility is actually going to be harmed.

NINA MOINI: And Representative, I'll give the last word to you here on your thoughts on metal detectors at the Capitol.

MARÍA ISA PÉREZ-VEGA: This is a conversation. I think Chair Fletcher answered it profoundly. This is what's going to make us feel safer. And as somebody who entered three years ago, recognizing we don't live in the same world that we were living in 20 years ago, let alone 10 years ago and postpandemic. The political violence that has now reality to our state must alert that we need more safety in the Capitol. We need to feel secure that we can do our job and that folks feel safe visiting us.

NINA MOINI: So we'll see what moves forward on that front, but it sounds like you're both in favor of metal detectors at this point. Thank you both so much. We hope you'll both join us again soon.

MARÍA ISA PÉREZ-VEGA: Thank you.

BOB FLETCHER: Thanks for having us, Nina. Thank you.

NINA MOINI: That was DFL State Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega, who represents the state Capitol area, and Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher.