West Virginia’s State Capitol is one of my favorite places; the shimmering gold dome, the long marble halls, the two-ton chandelier. Architect Cass Gilbert created one of the most beautiful and stylistic state capitol buildings in the country.
The majestic Capitol rotunda serves as a gathering place during legislative sessions. Lawmakers, representatives of various interest groups and causes, ordinary citizens, school children and even a few lost souls in search of warmth and company all mix in an egalitarian setting.
The Capitol has been, until now, an uncommonly accessible building where the main entrances were wide open to the general public. Remarkably, you could walk in the West Wing entrance and take an immediate right into the Governor’s Reception Room where you might just run into the Governor himself.
That has now changed. The Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS) now requires all visitors to enter the Capitol through screening checkpoints at the West and East Wings. According to MAPS, “Each visitor will be screened by a magnetometer, and will be asked to empty their pockets into provided containers so those items can be inspected. Briefcases, purses, packages, and similar items will be screened by an X-ray machine.”
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin says the changes bring the Capitol up to the same level of security as similar government offices. “These new measures are in line with security procedures at many of the other state Capitol buildings across the country, and a number of other public buildings in West Virginia including libraries and courthouses.”
He’s right. Before the new security, it was easier to get in the State Capitol than the Kanawha County Judicial Annex or the Monongalia County Courthouse.
Senate President Bill Cole supports the tighter security for the benefit of visitors and Capitol employees alike. “It is critical that we take these necessary steps to increase security and be prepared now, and not wait until it is too late to act.”
That’s understandable, but also lamentable. The unencumbered openness was always part of the charm of our Capitol, creating a free-flow of West Virginians through the halls of power. Yes, the public will still have plenty of access, as long as they follow the rules for what they can and cannot bring with them, but the mere fact that there is security suggests a risk.
Perhaps going this long without improving security and limiting public access was naïve, given the times. But I always valued that openness, the freedom of movement, the implied notion that those who entered our Capitol, whether for business, pleasure or simple curiosity did so with a certain reverence and respect due the people’s building.