DES MOINES, Iowa — In light of Wednesday's riots at the United States Capitol that left five people dead, the agency in charge of protecting Iowa's statehouse says it will have "adequate staffing" for the beginning of the 2021 legislative session on Monday.
A spokesman with Iowa State Patrol told Local 5 on Sunday it will be "ready for tomorrow's opening day of session."
There is a planned protest by Informed Choice Iowa, a group upset about the emergency powers taken by the governor during the coronavirus pandemic. They plan to greet lawmakers and make speeches in the rotunda on Monday. Nearly 250 people said they were going.
State Patrol said it will "monitor the situation and will adjust accordingly."
A few lawmakers have told Local 5 they are concerned for their safety not only because of potential violence following what happened in the nation's capitol last week.
"It is a concern, yes," said Gaines. "We are gonna be aware of where the exit doors are in order to remain safe, but that's another concern."
Statehouse pages attended an orientation on Saturday inside the capitol. A person familiar with the event said pages were given a tour of the building, as well as an overview of their expectations and responsibilities.
One of the pages, who asked to remain anonymous, said the issue of protesters was raised. Those leading the orientation told the group protests are common but that "we have people there to keep us safe."
The page told Local 5 "it was weird" more safety guidelines were not mentioned, as the attack in Washington, D.C. was just days earlier.
"A lot of pages are concerned," said the individual. "Some of us thought we'd go over this stuff, you know, because of what happened on Wednesday."
The same page also voiced apprehension over the lack of safety guidelines for the public entering the capitol, especially protesters involved in Informed Choice Iowa. Some of them posted on social media saying they would not wear face coverings.
Republican leadership released safety guidelines less than a week before the beginning of the session. Face coverings are not required and no one is mandated to report a positive coronavirus test result or a close contact with someone who tested positive.
Local 5 has reached out to the Chief Clerk's Office in charge of the page orientation. We have not received a response.