Late last year, someone lost the "master key" for the state Capitol offices. Keyless system, less media
and crowd access
proposed at Capitol
By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comThe mistake helped trigger a special $6,000 security audit for the Legislature.
The audit was performed by KMK Associates, owned by former city Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro. The audit recommends that the state spend more than $250,000 to replace the locks at the state Capitol with a keyless system using cards with magnetic strips.
The Kaneshiro report recommends "card-operated or access locks that are electrical."
"These frequently are fitted with a recording device that registers the time of use and the identity of the user," the report said. "In addition, the cards can serve as identification cards."
The security report also makes recommendations for controlling crowds and the news media during major occasions such as opening day, the governor's State of the State speech and the chief justice's State of the Judiciary speech.
"In assessing the security concerns of the state Capitol, there needs to be an understanding on the amount of public accessibility that the Legislature and other tenants desire," Kaneshiro's report said.
The report calls for limiting the media's access to the House chambers on the three ceremonial events; the Senate declined to adopt the same recommendations.
"In the past, the media have been allowed to enter the chamber floor after the end of the official program. As a general rule, the media should be allowed anywhere that the general public is allowed access," the report said.
"However, based on our present security requirements, we recommend that the general public as well as the media be restricted from going onto the chamber floor," the report said.
House Speaker Calvin Say announced yesterday that the media would not be allowed on the House floor, must wear press badges and would be allowed to interview representatives only off the chamber floor. Say said the policy would be for the entire legislative session, not just for specific events.
Say met yesterday with media representatives who protested that the action -- a departure from 20 years of practice -- was a restriction on access to news and would affect news coverage.
The report also highlighted possible crowd control problems and recommended that if controversial subjects were taken up in committee, security guards should consider screening the crowds.
"In preparing for any hearings or proceedings that may be highly controversial and may invoke hostile responses, consider using a metal detection device to screen all personnel entering the room," the report said.
Say said yesterday that special security provisions for committee hearings were not under consideration at this time.
