This month the Joint Legislative Rules Committee released a document entitled the “State Capitol Annex Project Construction Update,” touting it as a step toward transparency in a taxpayer-funded endeavor that has long been cloaked in secrecy. Yet this marks the first formal public update since 2021—a glaring indication of just how opaque the process has remained.
As a state representative and longtime resident in Sacramento County, I have consistently voiced concerns about key decisions regarding the Capitol Annex Project and the persistent lack of openness from its inception. In a recent KCRA 3 interview, state lawmakers in charge of the project even defended the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to keep information about the project a secret. This level of secrecy prompts serious questions: What exactly is being concealed from the public, and why?
Last year, I highlighted the troubling choice to outsource granite cutting to Italy, sidestepping California’s rigorous labor standards. The latest project update defends this move as “the most budget-conscious and affordable option.” While fiscal prudence is commendable, it serves as a stark acknowledgment of the burdensome business climate in our state. Moreover, it appears at odds with California’s broader policy objectives, including supporting domestic jobs and sustainable practices.
Since being elected to the Assembly three years ago, I have repeatedly sought detailed financial data and revised project costs, only to be met with silence. Frustrated by this stonewalling, Assemblyman Joe Patterson and I sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom last month urging decisive action to inject overdue transparency into the project. The governor’s office merely redirected us back to the Joint Rules Committee—the very entity that has ignored our inquiries.
Regrettably, the most recent project update falls far short of addressing these issues. It recycles familiar details, attributes delays to litigation stemming from the Legislature’s own flawed decisions, and offers a litany of justifications for anticipated cost escalations. Most alarmingly, it appears to resurrect plans for a Visitor Center that would require the demolition of the historic West Steps, despite recent assurances that this element would be scrapped. We must prioritize preserving the West Steps and ensuring every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely.
For almost four years, the Joint Legislative Rules Committee has withheld updated cost projections for the sprawling 525,000-square-foot Capitol office building and parking garage. This report is no exception, offering vague allusions to expenses without substantive details. It concedes overruns but provides scant clarity on their impact to California taxpayers. No fresh cost estimates have emerged since the 2021 figure of $1.1 billion, though the update dangles a promise of a “robust fiscal outlook” in 2026. Color me skeptical.
Californians deserve better than excuses and evasion. True transparency demands full disclosure now—not nebulous pledges for the future. As lawmakers, we owe it to our constituents to lift the veil on this project and hold ourselves accountable for every decision made with public funds.
Assemblyman Josh Hoover represents the 7th Assembly District in Sacramento County, which includes the cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom, and Rancho Cordova and the unincorporated communities of Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Foothill Farms, Gold River, Mather, McClellan Park, North Highlands, Orangevale, and Rosemont. You can follow him on X @joshua_hoover or contact his office atAssemblymember.Hoover@assembly.ca.gov.
