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Last week's assassination of a top Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband has resurfaced the issue of how best to protect elected officials. Enhancing security can be expensive, restrictive and it's not foolproof, and officials in Minnesota are trying to strike a balance between their public-facing jobs and their personal safety and privacy. Minnesota Public Radio's Clay Masters reports from the state capitol in St. Paul.
CLAY MASTERS, BYLINE: In front of the Minnesota House chamber, people stop by a memorial for Democratic House leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. They drop off flowers, hug and write messages on sticky notes.
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ERIN MURPHY: I think we would be not honest if we didn't recognize the fear that's embedded in this.
MASTERS: That's Minnesota Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy. She says, lawmakers need to address safety in the wake of Hortman's murder. Anyone can walk into the state House. There are no metal detectors.
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MURPHY: It will alter the way we interact. And we have to be careful not to go so far that we fence off the voice of people in our democracy.
MASTERS: While security in the Capitol is one thing, Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed in their home. The suspect also shot and wounded State Senator John Hoffman and his wife in their home. Law enforcement found a list of lawmakers and their addresses in the alleged killer's vehicle. Minnesota's secretary of state quickly removed lawmaker addresses from state databases, but Democratic state senator Aric Putnam says he doesn't plan to remove his details.
ARIC PUTNAM: We need to be allowed to have a personal life and a home and have our own spaces, and I think that as legislators, it should be our choice how much of that we give up.
MASTERS: Former Secret Service agent Bill Gage tells NPR it's nearly impossible to fully protect every member of Congress, let alone thousands of state lawmakers in the country. In Minnesota, there are 201 legislators, and a state law allows them to tap their campaign accounts for personal or home security to a degree.
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MASTERS: Hundreds gathered on the steps of the Capitol this week for a candlelight vigil for the Hortmans. Lynne Billing came to pay her respects and says she doesn't want the murders to cause a chilling effect.
LYNNE BILLING: I'm hoping for the opposite. I'm hoping that people are even more determined than ever to get involved, especially younger people. We need you.
MASTERS: Erin Preese, a teacher, ran unsuccessfully for a House seat a couple of times and knew the Hortmans. She's not sure if she'll run for office again.
ERIN PREESE: I ran because of the things that Melissa was fighting for - gun violence prevention, education for all, paid family leave. Those things are really important to me, and she really moved the needle on that. There's still work to be done, so maybe, but it's also a huge consideration about safety and my family's safety moving forward, too.
MASTERS: There were no political signs at the vigil. No speakers, either - it was a time for a House equally split between parties to come together to honor a colleague. Minnesota's Republican speaker of the House, Lisa Demuth, worked closely with Melissa Hortman.
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LISA DEMUTH: We could disagree on things, but we didn't have to be cruel to each other in the process, and that's in the public or in private. And I think that is an example that can lead as we go forward over the next days and months.
MASTERS: Still, these shocking killings have trampled the sense of safety here, and addressing lawmaker security is paramount. Even this week, someone broke into the Hortmans' home - the crime scene - and police are investigating.
For NPR News, I'm Clay Masters in St. Paul.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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