Several state lawmakers hiked Mount Democrat and Mount Lincoln today, in an effort to highlight the need for repairs to the capitol dome.
Legislators toured the capitol building last week to see firsthand how water infiltration and a freeze-thaw cycle are quickly destroying the iconic golden dome. The cast-iron enclosure has deteriorated so badly that a ten-pound chunk of metal fell off in 2007. Out of safety concerns, public tours of the dome have been limited since then.
Repairs will take about two years, at an estimated cost of $17 million – but a public fundraising campaign to raise $12 million dollars has been slow to catch on. That’s why lawmakers are climbing the two 14-thousand foot peaks. Democrat Mark Ferrandino, a member of the Joint Budget Committee, tweeted from the summit of Mount Democrat late Tuesday morning.
More about the project and the restoration campaign here.