Secretive California Capitol annex project costs taxpayers double while hiding politicians from accountability
By isabelle // 2025-06-11
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  • California’s Capitol Annex project costs skyrocketed from $543M to $1.1B, rivaling NFL stadium prices, while adding secret corridors to shield lawmakers from public scrutiny.
  • The project, exempted from environmental transparency laws, includes private hallways to help politicians evade journalists and constituents, sparking accusations of hypocrisy.
  • Lawmakers defended the design by citing post-January 6 security needs, but critics call it taxpayer-funded secrecy amid homelessness and budget crises.
  • Despite scrapping promised public benefits like a visitor center, costs keep rising, with no detailed spending disclosures since 2021.
  • Watchdogs condemn the project as wasteful and corrupt, prioritizing political elites over struggling Californians.
California’s Capitol Annex project has ballooned from an already staggering $543 million to a jaw-dropping $1.1 billion, approaching the cost of an NFL stadium, while deliberately designing private hallways to help lawmakers evade journalists and the public. The project, shrouded in secrecy and exempted from environmental transparency laws, epitomizes the hypocrisy of a state government that preaches accountability while constructing a taxpayer-funded fortress to avoid it.

A palace for politicians

Originally pitched as a necessary modernization effort, the Capitol Annex was meant to house offices for 120 lawmakers, the governor, and staff, along with committee hearing rooms, a parking garage, and a visitor’s center. But leaked details reveal a far more troubling reality: the inclusion of “secure corridors” allowing legislators to bypass public spaces where journalists and constituents typically engage with them. State Senate Pro Tempore Mike McGuire defended the design, stating, “Secure corridors have always been included in plans for the new annex… and are designed to help ensure the safety and security of lawmakers, which is even more important today given the events that unfolded on January 6th.” Yet critics argue this justification rings hollow. Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) blasted the move as “the height of hypocrisy,” adding, “You are using taxpayer dollars for a taxpayer-funded facility and yet you are going to design it in a way that shields you from the public and shields you from accountability.” The Joint Rules Committee, overseeing the project, has stonewalled requests for updates, refusing interviews and withholding diagrams of the private hallways. The last public disclosure on spending was in April 2021, which was three years ago. Meanwhile, lawmakers quietly passed a bill exempting the project from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a move upheld by the courts despite outcry from watchdog groups. Dick Cowan, former chairman of the Historic State Capitol Commission, noted that security costs surged after January 6, with former Joint Rules Committee Chairman Ken Cooley admitting the project needed an additional 10% budget (roughly $100 million) for “security reasons.” Yet no breakdown of these expenses has been provided.

Waste amid crisis

While California grapples with homelessness, failing infrastructure, and a looming budget deficit, the state is pouring over $1.1 billion into a building that prioritizes politicians’ convenience over public need. The annex’s price tag rivals Levi’s Stadium ($1.3 billion) and dwarfs Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center ($731 million, adjusted for inflation), which are facilities that serve tens of thousands, not just a political elite. Even the promised visitor’s center once touted as a public benefit has been quietly scrapped, yet the budget remains unchanged. Lia Lopez, the Joint Rules Committee’s chief administrative officer, admitted in an email that “there is no discussion or construction occurring on the West side,” yet costs continue to rise. California’s Capitol Annex project is a monument to government arrogance. It is a billion-dollar shrine to secrecy, built with public money yet designed to keep the public at arm’s length. While ordinary Californians struggle with rising costs and crumbling services, their leaders are constructing a lavish hideaway, shielded from scrutiny and insulated from accountability. This is not governance. It is corruption masquerading as necessity. And taxpayers deserve better. Sources for this article include: RealClearWire.com KCRA.com KMPH.com
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