Utah State Capitol Evacuated

The Utah Capitol was evacuated Wednesday morning and armed police with bomb-sniffing dogs searched the building after a "credible" bomb threat was made, the Utah Highway Patrol said.

The patrol recorded the threat that was called in, patrol spokeswoman Kat Dayton said. After reviewing it, officials said it was "credible."

It was not immediately known what office received the phone call, which was made around 8:30 a.m. The state office of Homeland Security refused to comment and referred questions to the state patrol.

Patrol troopers wearing bulletproof vests and carrying guns entered the Capitol with dogs at about 9:30 a.m. for a room-by-room search.

Senate President Al Mansell had estimated it would take at least an hour to search the building.

"It's a little chilly," shivered Cheryl Worsley of CBS radio affiliate KSL-AM. "Lawmakers are huddled together. There have got to be at least a hundred, 150 folks out here. They're bundled together, they've got their gloves on."

Gov. Olene Walker herded people out of the Capitol, initially leading workers and lawmakers into a nearby state office building before she and about five key legislators were ordered to take shelter in a heavily secured bunker in the Capitol basement.

"She's always concerned about everyone around her," said Walker's spokeswoman, Amanda Covington.

Many of the state's 104 lawmakers walked through an underground garage into the state office building.

The day's legislative session had not been scheduled to start until 10 a.m., but some lawmakers were already in committee hearings when the threat was made.

"This is a huge waste of time," Mansell said as he stood outside in 40-degree weather. "All you have to do is look around here at the people doing nothing."

Capitol police said there have been a handful of bomb threats against the Capitol over the past 20 years, but they didn't know how many were considered credible.

Mansell said legislators occasionally get "veiled" threats that never amount to anything. State Rep. Chad Bennion said he's received threatening calls at work and at home.

Several legislators standing outside the building told The Associated Press they had heard Wednesday's threat was not tied to any legislation being considered in the 45-day session, which ends March 3. Utah lawmakers are considering several controversial bills, including ones that would restrict abortion and ban gay marriages.

This spring, state workers will have to leave the 88-year-old, Corinthian-style marble Capitol during a $200 million renovation and seismic retrofit.

The seismic work is necessary because scientists have said Salt Lake is due for a major earthquake that could be strong enough to knock the Capitol dome off its precarious perch, snap columns and collapse upper floors.