A week after Gov. Scott Walker’s administration unveiled new requirements for holding events at the Capitol and other state buildings, a Wisconsin lawmaker is introducing a piece of legislation that would weaken the power of the executive branch to make Capitol event policy decisions.

On Wednesday, State Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, proposed a bill to create a Capitol Council and give all branches of the government control over access to the state Capitol.

Last Thursday, the Department of Administration introduced a new State Facilities Access Policy that requires all individuals or groups to purchase a permit for all activity and displays in state buildings.

The Capitol Council bill proposed by Taylor is a response to the DOA’s rules and the belief they will suspend the rights of citizens to gather at the Capitol, a statement from Taylor said.

“This administration has embarked on a highly suspect road which inhibits the rights of people to gather in the Capitol and petition their government,” Taylor said in the statement.

If formed, the Capitol Council would take over the exact powers currently held by the DOA, Teghan Delane, spokesperson for Sen. Taylor said.

Taylor’s Capitol Council would consist of one representative from each branch, Delane explained. The governor or a governor’s designee would represent the executive branch. The chief justice of the Supreme Court would represent the judiciary. The speaker of the Assembly or the president of the Senate would represent the Legislature. The council would also contain one representative from the public, appointed by the governor.

The DOA is part of the executive branch, and, with the way the statutes are structured now, it has near complete power over Capitol policies, Delane said.

“The past year has been a milestone for citizen involvement, and it also has beheld some of our darkest days when it comes to the unchecked exercise of power,” Taylor said in the statement.

The Capitol is not just home to the executive, Delane said, and should be presided over by all branches of the government. He said it is reasonable to conclude that the new DOA policy is a direct result of protests at the Capitol that began early this year.

The DOA’s Facilities Access Policy said permits are distributed fairly and do not favor certain groups over others.

“Permits shall be granted for public events or exhibits without discrimination on the basis of age, race, creed, color, handicap, marital status, sex, national origin, ancestry, and arrest or conviction record,” the statement said.

The updated rules to the facility access policy will not alter the core rules for holding events at the Capitol, said Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, in a previous interview with The Badger Herald.

He said the district court has thrown out a number of cases over the past several months where citizens broke behavioral rules of the Capitol, harassed public officials or were disruptive during floor meetings.

Mikalsen said he hopes the district courts will hold rule breakers accountable now that the regulations have become more specific.

The updated access plan is currently in effect, according to a DOA statement. For members of the public with further questions on the policy, the DOA will hold an information session 9 a.m. Saturday in the Capitol basement.