AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Security at the Texas Capitol has "at least doubled" to handle crowds after an outburst last month in the Senate chamber shut down a deadline vote on an abortion restrictions bill, a state senator said Tuesday.
Sen. Kevin Eltife, chairman of the Senate Administration Committee, said lawmakers told the Department of Public Safety to increase Capitol security no matter what the cost following the outburst June 25 by hundreds of protesters in the gallery.
"We want the place secure. We want plenty of officers on the ground," Eltife said Tuesday.
He declined to reveal the exact number of troopers or how much the boost in security is costing. DPS spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger also declined to comment on the level of security or expense.
"We do not discuss Capitol security plans," she said. "However, when necessary, we will adjust our security measures as a situation merits."
Senate security officers were heavily outnumbered when demonstrators in the gallery erupted and kept shouting and clapping for about 15 minutes at the end of a nearly 13-hour filibuster by Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth.
The outburst effectively shut down a vote on the abortion bill before the midnight deadline of the first special session, prompting Gov. Rick Perry and other top Republicans to complain that an "unruly mob" had thwarted democracy.
Lawmakers returned to the Capitol on July 1 for a new 30-day special session, and troopers have had a strong presence throughout the Capitol as thousands of anti-abortion and abortion rights activists have flooded the grounds, hallways and meeting rooms for rallies and a marathon public hearing.
State troopers wearing their trademark cowboy hats have been visible in every hallway during the hours that the Capitol is open to the public. They have gotten assistance from the Austin and Houston police departments, which provided officers on horses to manage crowds at large, outdoor rallies.
Crowds have been loud but peaceful ? staging prayer meetings, singing hymns and chanting at each other.
When abortion rights groups staged a rally July 1 that drew more than 5,000 and had activists from both sides bumping shoulders in the crowded hallways, troopers were seen carrying riot gear, including helmets, clubs and shields. But trouble never came.
During an anti-abortion rally Monday night, more than a dozen troopers formed a human wall between the crowd and the speakers and remained in place throughout a Christian music concert and when abortion rights protesters marched from downtown to the Capitol steps.
After the House cast its first vote Tuesday night to pass the abortion bill, angry abortion rights activists stood outside the gallery chanting and shouting their disapproval, as more than a dozen troopers stood between them and the entrance.
Lawmakers have warned the public that any outburst similar to what happened in the Senate will result in everyone being removed from the galleries and meeting rooms.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," said Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston. "It's an emotional issue. Tensions are high inside and the temperature is high outside. All you need is one knucklehead to stir things up."
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