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The Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security on Tuesday approved its recommendations to lawmakers, including the suggestion that they add weapons screening technology at the Capitol.

The panel met to finalize its report for the Legislature and adopted several recommendations that came from a third-party security assessment, including improving technology and system integration across the grounds, establishing consistent post orders and staffing levels and establishing a screening model to reduce dangerous items from entering the complex.

The committee is made up of two legislators from each party along with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Natalie Hudson. And it voted unanimously on all recommendations but one: access control and screening management.

The two Republicans on the committee — Rep. Jim Nash, of Waconia, and Sen. Warren Limmer, of Maple Grove — voted against the recommendation. 

“I do believe that those things are very important to the overall security of our Capitol grounds. And that will again reiterate my reticence because the funding picture is beyond unclear,” Nash said, referring to the specific recommendation on screening. “My reticence on moving forward on that is because we don’t have an understanding of where things are, and as my legislative career has unfolded here, I don’t vote on things that I don’t have my arms fully around from a funding perspective.”

Democrats on the committee pushed back on Nash’s remarks.

“I am very disappointed that my colleagues across the aisle did not vote in support of weapons screening when that was articulated as the biggest bang for our buck when it comes to security measures,” Rep. Kelly Moller, D-Deephaven, said. “If the rationale is funding, which obviously we have to keep in mind, I'm a little perplexed as to why they voted yes on all the other things when there's a lot of uncertain funding.”

It’s not completely clear how far the recommendation goes in terms of screening, but Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said the report was not silent on the issue.

“I don't want to get into the specificities of the over 400-page report, but it is very clear that both weapon screening needs to occur and policies need to be introduced to prohibit weapons at the Capitol,” she said.

Lawmakers will consider the recommendations when they return to St. Paul for the 2026 legislative session next month. And funding for Capitol security upgrades could be included in Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed capital investment bill, which is set to be released this week.

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The Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security approved a series of recommendations to improve security at the Capitol complex.

Advisory committee recommends weapons screening at Minnesota Capitol

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