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Legislators authorize chairs to consult on Capitol committee-room upgrades
Summary
A legislative committee voted to authorize its chairs to consult state facilities and the secretary of state's office to assess Capitol committee rooms, seating, sound and other upgrades, and to report back after gathering options funded from an existing $205,000 legislative facilities appropriation.
Senator Hammer and lawmakers voted to authorize the committee chairs to consult the secretary of state's office and the State Facilities Commission to assess and recommend upgrades to legislative committee rooms in the State Capitol Building.
The action directs the chairs to request assessments of seating layout, furniture, lighting, microphones and other accessibility and audiovisual issues and to return with recommendations and cost estimates. Jill Thayer of the Bureau of Legislative Research told the committee the bureau has an annual line-item appropriation of $205,000 designated for legislative facilities.
The committee took up the question after members said several rooms —including the old Supreme Courtroom and Room 207 where education meets—show signs of wear and offer limited seating for members of the public. The committee recorded that its rooms had not been substantially updated for many years; one speaker said some Senate committee rooms had not been touched since February 2003 and another member said the committee itself had not met on this subject since 2018.
Jill Thayer, Bureau of Legislative Research, explained the committee's scope: "Under the law, this committee has jurisdiction for legislative spaces within the State Capitol Building," and described the funding source: "The bureau has in its appropriation every year $205,000. It's a line item that's designated for legislative facilities." The committee discussed several options for carrying out work, including asking the secretary of state's office (which maintains architects and contractors), using the Division of Building Authority and the state architect, or hiring an independent consultant.
Marty Garrity of the Bureau of Legislative Research advised the committee about available resources: "I know they have a state architect, that may be willing to come in and assist with kind of looking at the room and or resources within that division that could help too. And alternatively, you could hire an independent, consultant, architect, or, you know, designer that could assist with that."
Members also raised operational problems beyond furniture. Senator Dotsen (at one point) asked about lighting and microphone reliability in Room 207, saying battery-powered handheld microphones sometimes fail and make it hard for people at the table and in the audience to hear testimony. Another member said drapes in the old Supreme Courtroom are frayed and may need replacement; that person suggested requesting replacement through the secretary of state's office or the applicable custodial authority.
Representative Dobby moved that the committee chairs coordinate with the secretary of state's office and the State Facilities Commission to inspect rooms and report recommendations; the motion was seconded, approved by voice vote and declared passed. The committee recorded no roll-call tally; the chairs said they would meet with the identified offices and convene another committee meeting after gathering information.
