LANSING- State Senator Steve Bieda (D-Warren) is deeply troubled by graffiti found on the front columns of the State Capitol this morning. Around 4:00 A.M. this morning a Michigan State Trooper patrolling the Capitol grounds discovered two 5 foot tall stick figures (one man, one women) spray-painted on the building. A war memorial was also found to be defaced with the words “give art a chance” and a half face painted on it.

“When I heard what had happened, it felt like a punch in the gut,” said Senator Bieda. “This is a beautiful building that has both historical and metaphorical significance. A lot of time, money and hard work have gone into restoring and preserving the Capitol. Regardless of your political leanings, there's absolutely no excuse for behavior like this.”

Capitol employees are in the process of cleaning the graffiti, but caution that it could take days or weeks to clean. The cleaning process is delicate because chemicals used for cleaning the spray paint could cause further damage to the stone. The sandstone used for the columns is also very absorbent; portions of the columns may need to be replaced. Clean-up costs are currently in the thousands of dollars. The state police are still investigating the crime.