When the refurbished Idaho Statehouse reopened in time for the 2010 legislative session, some of the political insiders who lavished praise on the $120 million makeover also voiced some reservations.

They worried that the expanded building, with its new office space, would allow lawmakers to insulate themselves from the people they serve.

Now, the skeptics can say they told us so.

Last week, House Speaker Lawerence Denney clamped down on security on his side of the rotunda. According to IdahoReporter.com, which broke the story Monday, areas leading to offices have been locked. Visitors must pass through security. If you want to meet with a House member, you need to schedule in advance.

It is a far cry from the more free-wheeling days at the “old” Statehouse, when most rank-and-file lawmakers didn’t even have offices. They did a lot of their work on the House or Senate floor and were easy for lobbyists, reporters and constituents to buttonhole outside the chambers.

It is that easy, casual access that helped cement the Statehouse’s revered reputation as “The People’s House.” With that as historical backdrop, Denney comes across looking like that curmudgeon who wants the kids to get off his lawn.

Which segues nicely to those folks who are on the lawn: the Occupy Boise protesters.

Again, from IdahoReporter.com: Denney said a lawmaker’s security card vanished, after another legislator led Occupy members on a tour of House offices. The card wasn’t found, but it was deactivated.

Denney said he’d like to keep the House open but told IdahoReporter.com, “There are security issues.”

Even if you take Denney’s account at face value, it just doesn’t add up.

A security card was stolen, says Denney, but it has been deactivated. So what’s the security risk? Nobody’s going to be able to use this card to break into an office.

And I can’t help but be a little skeptical about the timing. This security clampdown came just as the House was considering a bill to remove the Occupy protesters from the Capitol Mall. The bill passed Thursday, 54-16. Ultimately opposed by only three of the House’s 57 Republicans, this bill was destined to sail through. Still, Denney’s public insinuation that an Occupy protester breached security certainly would give an on-the-fence lawmaker one more excuse to vote yes.

Some of the most spirited debate against the Occupy bill came from Rep. Brian Cronin, a Boise Democrat who, not coincidentally, led Occupy protesters on a tour of the Statehouse recently.

As I listened to portions of Thursday’s debate, and read Friday’s rundown of the vote from William Spence of the Lewiston Tribune, this is the Cronin quote that knocks the issue out of the park. “My concern is that, at a time when we have historic levels of distrust in government, when people feel more disconnected than ever, the message we’re opting to send — and it is an option — is that we don’t want to see you, we don’t want to hear you. We’re saying we want ‘those people’ to go away.”

Cronin couldn’t be more right.

This is an option.

The same can be said for Denney’s security clampdown.

RULES OF THE ROAD

When Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor said he would not pursue criminal charges against state Treasurer Ron Crane, the reaction was to be expected.

Said Crane: “I am delighted with the finding ... which validates the usage of my private vehicle for travel to and from work as being within state policy.”

Since 2005, Crane has used a state-issued credit card to gas up his car, which he uses for state business, for the commute to and from his Nampa home and for some side errands. But, said Taylor, “There is no evidence suggesting that Mr. Crane acted with criminal intent.”

Which isn’t to say Taylor found no problems.

Taylor admonished Crane to do a better job of tracking his travels. (Shouldn’t record-keeping come naturally to a treasurer?) Crane says he will heed the advice.

Taylor also said the state needs a specific travel policy for elected officials, since none exists. The result is a mishmash. Crane has his own way of doing things. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden uses a state-issued car and puts gas purchases on a state credit card. Other state elected officials do what thousands of Treasure Valley commuters do: They drive their cars and pay for their own gas.

Crane says he has saved the state more than $30,000 since 2005, when he gave up his state-issued car and started using his own vehicle. Taylor agrees that the move saved the state money.

Of course, if Crane really wants to save taxpayer dollars, he should pay for his daily commute.

Kevin Richert: 377-6437