Capitol Commission Adopts Secret Security Measures
- Team MIRS
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
(Source: MIRS.news, Published 06/09/2025) The Michigan State Capitol Commission (MSCC) voted unanimously in favor Monday to adopt a critical infrastructure security measure that required a closed session to discuss before voting and scant public details after the vote was taken.
This safety measure won't be disclosed to the public because, if it was made public, it would negate its purpose and could be thwarted by bad actors, according to MSCC Chair William Kandler.
MSCC went into closed session following exemptions under the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act and was also advised by the Attorney General's office on how to proceed, Kandler said. He didn't say which assistant attorney general advised the commission.
Before voting to go into a closed session, Kandler said this is a period of time during which there are all kinds of political violence incidents, so the commission has the responsibility to protect the building and those that enter it.
There would be no reason to implement the procedures if the public was aware of them, and they would be rendered useless if the Capitol was under siege, Kandler said. Only the Capitol building will be subject to these measures, and the lawn, House Office Building and Senate Office Building are not.
Kandler said the public will not notice a difference when they enter the Capitol, and it will take some time to implement. He also said there hasn't been a specific security threat in Michigan that sparked the conversation about implementing more security measures.
Kandler said the MSCC is not asking for funds that have not already been appropriated, but did not say what has already been appropriated and how much of it would be used for this security measure.
The House Speaker's office, Senate Majority Leader's office and the Governor's office have all been made aware of the measure, but the rest of the Legislature does not, and it was not made at their request.
Drones Around The Capitol
The advancement of drones allowed the MSCC to perform an exterior inspection of the dome rather than pay for scaffolding to be put up, but the commission's meeting today also discussed the emerging technology's potentially negative uses on the building.
Rob BLACKSHAW, executive director of the MSCC, said the painting and cleaning of the dome is still 10 years away, but by hiring a drone company to take high-definition photos of the Capitol dome and the roof, they were able to save money on scaffolding.
However, placing guardrails and restrictions on the use of drones is also on Blackshaw's mind, and he said Rep. William BRUCK (R-Erie) is working on legislation that would designate the capitol as critical infrastructure and implement geo-fences to limit drones around the building.Capitol Commission Adopts Secret Security Measures
(Source: MIRS.news, Published 06/09/2025) The Michigan State Capitol Commission (MSCC) voted unanimously in favor Monday to adopt a critical infrastructure security measure that required a closed session to discuss before voting and scant public details after the vote was taken.
This safety measure won't be disclosed to the public because, if it was made public, it would negate its purpose and could be thwarted by bad actors, according to MSCC Chair William Kandler.
MSCC went into closed session following exemptions under the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act and was also advised by the Attorney General's office on how to proceed, Kandler said. He didn't say which assistant attorney general advised the commission.
Before voting to go into a closed session, Kandler said this is a period of time during which there are all kinds of political violence incidents, so the commission has the responsibility to protect the building and those that enter it.
There would be no reason to implement the procedures if the public was aware of them, and they would be rendered useless if the Capitol was under siege, Kandler said. Only the Capitol building will be subject to these measures, and the lawn, House Office Building and Senate Office Building are not.
Kandler said the public will not notice a difference when they enter the Capitol, and it will take some time to implement. He also said there hasn't been a specific security threat in Michigan that sparked the conversation about implementing more security measures.
Kandler said the MSCC is not asking for funds that have not already been appropriated, but did not say what has already been appropriated and how much of it would be used for this security measure.
The House Speaker's office, Senate Majority Leader's office and the Governor's office have all been made aware of the measure, but the rest of the Legislature does not, and it was not made at their request.
Drones Around The Capitol
The advancement of drones allowed the MSCC to perform an exterior inspection of the dome rather than pay for scaffolding to be put up, but the commission's meeting today also discussed the emerging technology's potentially negative uses on the building.
Rob BLACKSHAW, executive director of the MSCC, said the painting and cleaning of the dome is still 10 years away, but by hiring a drone company to take high-definition photos of the Capitol dome and the roof, they were able to save money on scaffolding.
However, placing guardrails and restrictions on the use of drones is also on Blackshaw's mind, and he said Rep. William BRUCK (R-Erie) is working on legislation that would designate the capitol as critical infrastructure and implement geo-fences to limit drones around the building.
