Lawmaker: What if ‘thousands’ suddenly took up residence on Capitol mall?

Dean Gunderson, a volunteer with Occupy Boise, said the vigil has actually reduced crime in the Capitol Mall area; a participant reported a person who was seen vandalizing cars in the area, and the police apprehended the vandal.

Rep. Erik Simpson, R-Idaho Falls, asked Gunderson, “Don’t you see this as potentially sort of a troubling precedent, if we have every group that’s protesting here on the Capitol grounds to all of a sudden take up residence?” He said it “might limit the access of the public to the Capitol … if we had thousands of people who suddenly took up residence on the Capitol Mall.”

Gunderson responded that the only action he’s aware of now restricting access to the Statehouse is the stepped-up security apparently targeting those attending the Occupy bill hearings. “Your question, is whether or not representatives should fear their constituents who feel that they have issues that they would want to bring.”