Gov. Dayton and legislators will be meeting in a newly-formed committee about security at the Capitol. It's interesting to reflect that this is not a new issue. Here are several reports scanned from the Library's collection that preceded the frequently-cited program evaluation, Capitol Complex Security, from the Office of the Legislative Auditor. (2010 Update)
A Report on Security in the Capitol Complex and at the Governor's Residence, February 1973. It was issued by the Ad Hoc Security Committee, which was formed and appointed by the Commissioner of Administration, Richard L. Brubacher.
Laws of Minnesota 1981, Chapter 357, Section 3, required, "The Commissioner shall submit to the legislature by January 1, 1982, a plan for coordinating capitol and mansion security activities." The Capitol Security Report was done in January 1982 by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
In February 1990 a joint effort by the Department of Administration and the Department of Public Safety resulted in the Report of the Interagency Security Task Force, published in April 1990. Governor Perpich responded to increasing crime in the areas surrounding state buildings by creating the interagency task force to address security issues in the Capitol Complex and at the state's major leased facilities.
As a result of Laws of Minnesota 1999, Chapter 250, Article 1, Section 12, the Department of Administration published Security Improvements Capitol Complex in January 2000. From the Executive Summary: "The 1999 Legislature appropriated $520,000 to rebuild and upgrade electronic security systems in the Capitol Complex. This report outlines the types of security systems in use on the Capitol Complex, the history of how security system improvements have been undertaken, funding sources committed to the upgrade, and Plant Management's current status on security system upgrades."
Another 1999 law required a security report. Laws of Minnesota 1999, Chapter 216, Article 5, Section 13 resulted in Capitol Complex Security Study: Executive Summary, January 14, 2000. It was prepared for the Legislature by Superintendent Nicholas V. O'Hara, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
An ongoing group, the Capitol Complex Security Oversight Committee, was mandated by Laws of Minnesota 2000, Chapter 488, Article 6, Section 8. The 2001 Report of the Capitol Complex Security Oversight Committee, from the Office of the Chief, Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, was the only one received by the Library. The report meeting minutes and attachments, summarize the work of the committee during 2001.