(WXYZ) — A rise in threats and deadly violence against elected officials is leading to calls for more security funding at the state and national level.
Watch Simon Shaykhet's video report:
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are speaking out after the deadly shooting in Minnesota over the weekend that killed former Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injuring Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, who lived just a few miles away.
The alleged shooter, Vance Boelter, also had a list that included seven Democratic lawmakers from Michigan: Democratic Reps. Haley Stevens, Rashida Tlaib, Debbie Dingell, Shri Thanedar and Hillary Scholten, plus Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Sen. Elissa Slotkin
Watch below: Seven Michigan lawmakers on alleged Minnesota shooter's hit list
"People are saying you should die because of your positions," Tlaib told me on Tuesday.
Tlaib is also the first Palestinian-American to serve in the U.S. House and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress. She said now more than ever, her safety is the top of mind, especially after threats like, “Bashing our heads in. Mentioning our families and my children are mentioned in threats.”
Tlaib met with me Tuesday at a senior center in Detroit to discuss feeling threatened and the need for lawmakers to have more security in the wake of the shooting in Minnesota.
I asked State Sen. Joe Bellino from Monroe about this and an alleged hit list the shooter had.
“A lot of us are texting back and forth. Stay safe. You need to be cognizant of all your surroundings," Bellino said.
I asked taxpayers for their take on the new letter to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson from Democratic leaders who are asking for more security.
Hear more from Rep. Rashida Tlaib in the video below
“Should we pay for them to be kept safe at events?" I asked.
"If they distribute taxes properly, we wouldn’t have to keep taxing people," Linda Butler said.
“They need more security because everybody does not agree the same way," Saquanda Watts added.
“Do you see this discouraging people from entering politics?" I asked Tlaib.
"I’ve already heard people say I don’t want to get into office. It’s so ugly," Tlaib said.
Looking ahead at the state level, Bellino said a new proposal has not yet been introduced, however, this is now a bigger focus for many.
"I’m hearing stuff, but not sure what’s practical. Are we going to hire like for the president and vice president? Follow us left & right. I don’t think so. I watch my surroundings and am cognizant there could be bad people out there," Bellino said.
Tlaib is adamant the matter can't wait. She said this is personal.
“We get such a tremendous amount of hate. From day one, I didn’t get sworn into office and already got my first death threat," Tlaib said.
Some lawmakers tell me they've had to hire personal security with campaign funding, but believe a permanent solution is needed.
