Boston Globe: Calls build for State House to reopen; Capitol only one of two still keeping public out

Boston Globe: Calls build for State House to reopen; Capitol only one of two still keeping public out

When the capitol is closed, "the public loses touch with our government, we lose confidence in our government," said Sandy Ma, executive director of Common Cause Hawaii. "We really lose a sense that the government is acting for us."

Steeped in history, the Massachusetts State House stands alone for many reasons among the country’s state capitols: Its iconic dome was covered with copper from Paul Revere’s foundry. Samuel Adams laid its cornerstone. It holds a 237-year-old fish effigy.

The seat of the state’s executive and legislative branches now has another: The State House appears to be the only state capitol on the continent where the public remains barred from entering.

The pandemic-induced closure has now stretched past 600 days, and legislative leaders in charge of the building say they’re juggling how to safely reopen a living museum where hundreds of people work — most of whom are vaccinated against COVID-19 — but typically receives some 100,000 visitors each year.

Nearly every other state has taken more steps to let people back into the “people’s house” since the onset of COVID-19, according to a Globe review of official statements, news reports, and responses from government officials. And while Hawaii is the only other state whose capitol the Globe found is still closed to the general public, it does allow those with appointments to enter.

The lack of clarity on when the Massachusetts Legislature will reopen its capitol has now stirred complaints about an institution that’s long been criticized for opacity. …

In Hawaii, where the state Legislature’s website says the capitol remains closed, a spokeswoman for Governor David Ige said that the building is open to those who have appointments and that she expects state officials to work with legislative leaders on a plan to lift restrictions on the public before the next legislative session begins in January.

The setup in Hawaii had raised questions of whether it’s afforded unequal access to elected leaders, who reportedly met with lobbyists and business leaders after legislators initially said the building was off limits to anyone but themselves and their staff.

When the capitol is closed, “the public loses touch with our government, we lose confidence in our government,” said Sandy Ma, executive director of Common Cause Hawaii. “We really lose a sense that the government is acting for us.”