LANSING — Today, House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) issued a formal request to state Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt) urging her to remove a sign on her office door asking that only law enforcement officials carry weapons inside. In response to the request, Rep. Hope issued the following statement:
“The Speaker is forcing me to sacrifice the First Amendment rights of any constituent looking to enter my office and speak with their elected representative in an environment where they feel safe, and that is not something I should be asked to do. The sign was simply there in an effort to ensure the safety of anyone in my office on Sept. 10, the day of the Second Amendment rally. Given his history, I know Speaker Chatfield has a very casual, even careless attitude toward guns, but I do not share that attitude. Yet because the Speaker is the person who ultimately controls our office allotment — and therefore the resources I am able to use to serve my constituents — I feel as though I have no choice but to adhere to his demand.”
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