"I like to talk to people. I'm out in the hallways," said Hillyard, who served a brief term as interim Senate president eight years ago and is the current budget chairman of the Senate. This past session, one leader asked Hillyard to walk with him through the underground, secure parking lot between the legislative building and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s office, "because he said if he walked through the (public) hallways and plaza, it would take him an hour to get to the governor's office" because so many people would want to talk to him.

Will the Legislature become even more reclusive, for whatever reasons?

"We get elected because we are friendly, not if we are seen as unfriendly," Hillyard said. "But some (legislators) don't think about going out in the halls to talk, it's a hassle to meet with the public" in crowded hallways. "I don't mind it, but there are security issues."

While uniformed Utah Highway Patrol troopers man vehicle checkpoints to Capitol Hill parking lots, legislators have been careful not to set up weapons-checking security screening operations for visitors (currently in place in state court buildings) who come into the legislative building. And security screening stations are not planned for the remodeled Capitol, either. In short, anyone can carry a concealed weapon into legislative hearing rooms, hallways and chamber galleries.

"We need to talk about all the issues of access" to lawmakers, said Hillyard.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com