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Breaking on Fox News from Mike Tobin at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison. Protesters have trapped GOP lawmakers in their offices shutting down the vote at 11 AM and have threatened violence and are trying to enter their offices.

The capitol is being stormed, again.

Madison — Demonstrators crowded the Capitol in a wild scene after senators passed a budget-repair bill in a hastily called meeting Wednesday night that outraged protesters and Democratic legislators. Protesters yelled slogans and blew whistles as the Capitol took on the intensity and passion that marked the early days of the protests. Protesters demanded to be let inside, and in one scene at the southeastern entrance of the Capitol, scores of protesters pressed against the door as two-dozen police pushed them back. One protester got partly inside the door and was dragged in by the State Patrol. Outside, protesters chanted...

West Virginia's two Democratic senators blamed House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday after their hopes of having the remains of World War I veteran Frank Buckles honored in the Capitol Rotunda were dashed, at least for now. Excerpt due to AP

State officials said Thursday that damage to the marble inside and out the State Capitol would cost an estimated $7.5 million. Cari Anne Renlund, chief legal counsel for the state Department of Administration, said in Dane County court that estimates of damage to marble includes $6 million to repair damaged marble inside the Capitol, $1 million for damage outside and $500,000 for costs to supervise the damage. Much of the damage apparently has come from tape used to put up signs and placards at the Capitol.

Madison -- Administration Secretary Michael Huebsch estimated Wednesday that law enforcement costs to provide security at the State Capitol through February would likely total $4 million to $5 million.

Fox Nation has learned exclusively from a highly placed source within Wisconsin state politics that the fourteen AWOL Democrats are experiencing "dissension in the ranks." State Sen. Julie Lassa (D) is pregnant and "extremely unhappy" about being on the run. State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D) has been hit particularly hard by his paycheck being withheld.

Police keep protesters from entering CapitolBy Clay Barbour and Dee. J. Hall, Capital Newspapers Posted: Monday, February 28, 2011 11:33 pm Capitol Police kept more than 1,000 protestors at bay Monday, locking down the statehouse and allowing only a few dozen inside to meet with lawmakers. Officials with the Department of Administration said they closed the Capitol to help with the cleaning of the building and could not open the doors to the public because some protestors inside the rotunda refused to limit their activities to the ground floor. The decision seemed to run counter to Capitol tradition and the...

Some protesters plan peaceful resistance when Capitol is closed todayBy Ron Seely / Wisconsin State Journal Posted: Sunday, February 27, 2011 7:15 am MADISON - With police planning to clear the state Capitol of protesters Sunday, some demonstrators Saturday night were preparing to peacefully resist removal from the building. Capitol Police announced early Saturday that they intend to close down the Capitol at 4 p.m. Sunday. But little information was provided about exactly how the huge building will be cleared of thousands of protesters, some of whom have been sleeping on the marble floors since Feb. 15. And there were...

MADISON, Wisc. -- Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, the GOP's leader in the upper house, said today that access to parts of the Capitol will be closed off to the public starting 6 p.m. A little background. The occupation of the capitol is, in some ways, a fluke. Citizens are allowed to stay overnight in the Capitol if there is a hearing going on and people are giving testimony. Democrats have had a quasi-official hearing going since the start of this impasse, which has allowed hundreds of people to sleep in the Capitol every night. But since the start of this week,...

Pro-union website blocked in Wisconsin state CapitolBy the CNN Wire Staff February 22, 2011 2:08 p.m. EST Madison, Wisconsin (CNN) -- A left-leaning website that union supporters used to rally protesters in Wisconsin was partially blocked as demonstrators gathered in the state Capitol over a controversial budget bill. The website, defendwisconsin.org, could not be accessed on Monday and into Tuesday morning in the Capitol building, where crowds assembled over proposed legislation that would increase the costs of benefits to public employees and curb their collective-bargaining rights. Wisconsin Democratic Party press secretary Graeme Zielinski blamed Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers...

Use of Capitol building as homeless shelter raises concernsBy Stacy Forster of the Journal Sentinel May 29, 2009 Madison - State Capitol police respond to dozens of incidents each month involving homeless people who spend their days in the landmark building. Capitol police say the building is secure and the incidents involving the homeless aren't that different from those involving the thousands of people who work in and visit the building each day. But some lawmakers believe the state should do a better job of helping those who seek shelter in the Capitol, rather than just housing them during the...

Welcome to the State Capitol Tour Reservations Desk. We are pleased to make arrangements for your tour of our beautiful Capitol. Follow the steps below to reserve a date and time with us. If there are fewer than 10 people in your tour group, no reservation is necessary. On weekends and on holidays we are only able to accomodate up to 130 people per hour. For questions or comments regarding on-line Capitol tour reservations, please contact us by email at Capitol Tours or by telephone at (608)266-0382. Enjoy your tour! Guided tours of the Capitol building are first offered to...

Cuccinelli argues health-care suit on Capitol HillBy Jim Nolan Published: February 16, 2011 Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli this morning took his case against the new federal health care law straight to the folks who approved it less than a year ago -- Congress. But what a difference a year makes. When the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in March 2010, the House of Representatives was controlled by Democrats, and no Republicans voted for the measure. Last November’s midterm elections changed that, so today Cuccinelli, a rising conservative star whose lawsuit made headlines across the nation, was at...

Calling it "Operation Freedom's No Loophole," the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) will rally at the Virginia Capitol on Monday, January 17, 2011, also a federal holiday known as Martin Luther King Day. In a press release issued today, VCDL declared its aim to "make Virginia both a 'shall accept' & 'constitutional carry' state this session." . . .

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- "It's just crazy." That's the comment made Tuesday by a state lawmaker from Louisville, pointing out Kentucky and Texas are the only two states to allow guns in their state Capitol. State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, of Louisville, plans on introducing two measures to change the law. The first one would ban guns in the state Capitol and annex building. If that bill fails, the other one would make it mandatory for parents to sign permission slips for children visiting the Capitol. Those forms would point out guns are allowed in the Capitol. Marzian said she gave...

Pastors go on a tour of the United States Capitol with history expert David Barton

Everyone knows the one about glass houses — everyone except the feds, apparently. A recent report revealed the U.S. Capitol and surrounding buildings have an estimated 6,300 workplace hazards. While Obama’s OSHA continues to ramp up fines, criminal penalties and oversight for companies, the seat of the legislative branch wouldn’t even pass its own inspection, according to a recent report from the Office of Compliance. And many of the hazards pose major risks to employees — one-quarter of them could be deadly or cause serious injury. And some will cost a lot to fix. One example: A fire hazard in...

Supporters of Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigration are planning to rally at the state Capitol on Saturday. The rally follows dueling events last weekend that drew thousands of opponents and supporters of the law. This weekend's rally could be muted by soaring temperatures expected to hit 107 degrees. Rally organizer Daniel Smeriglio says the rally is a grass roots effort and participants are traveling from around the U.S. to attend. Smeriglio says they will be providing lots of water and are asking participants to bring umbrellas and wear sunscreen. Former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado, GOP...

Think the metal detectors and other ramped-up security plans for the Texas Capitol will keep out unlicensed guns? Think again, officials said Wednesday. Under current state law, so-called "long guns" — rifles, shotguns and the like — will remain legal in the domed landmark if they are carried openly, in a non-threatening way. And, under an exemption approved Tuesday as a part of a new security plan, Texans with a concealed-handgun license will be able to take their pistols into the statehouse as well.