SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After years of limited public communication, California lawmakers overseeing the state’s high-profile Capitol Annex construction project are speaking out, pledging greater transparency as questions mount over costs, security spending, and decision-making behind closed doors.
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The Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee, which has handled day-to-day oversight of the new Capitol Annex building, has not held a public hearing or updated the project’s website since 2021. The building is intended to house offices for state lawmakers and the governor and represents one of the most expensive public construction projects in California history.
Democratic Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco and State Senator John Laird, who have led the committee since 2023, agreed to sit down for a Zoom interview with KCRA 3 on Monday following months of interview requests. The conversation marked the first in-depth public discussion by project leaders in years.
California lawmakers and the governor have allocated $1.1 billion for the Capitol Annex, a figure that was last formally estimated in 2022. While no updated total cost estimate has yet been released, Pacheco and Laird confirmed that $518 million of the budget has already been spent.
Pacheco acknowledged that the final price tag could change and said staff have been directed to prepare a comprehensive update on the project’s cost and overall status.
“This interview is the first of many,” Pacheco said. “We believe it’s important for us to be transparent.”
Following the interview, KCRA 3 obtained a legislative memo sent to staff and lawmakers indicating that the Legislature is preparing to part ways with MOCA Systems, the project management consulting firm that has overseen the Capitol Annex since construction began.
Neither Pacheco nor Laird disclosed the change during the interview. KCRA 3 has reached out to both MOCA Systems and the Joint Rules Committee seeking additional information on why the contract will not be renewed.
According to the memo, a new project manager will be tasked with reassessing the project’s financial outlook.
“In early 2026, the new project manager will take into account litigation costs, Pandemic-era supply chain issues, inflation, and the cost of delays to produce a robust fiscal outlook,” the memo read.
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During the interview, Pacheco and Laird were also pressed about spending decisions that were made without public discussion, including costs tied to security infrastructure and high-end materials such as Italian stonework.
Pacheco confirmed that the building will include “secure hallways” designed exclusively for lawmakers and staff, allowing them to move through the building without interacting with the public. She said security-related features account for $64 million in taxpayer spending.
The lawmakers also defended the use of non-disclosure agreements tied to the project, which have restricted the release of broad information about design choices, costs, and internal deliberations. They said the NDAs are intended to protect security-sensitive details and confidential bidding information, even though the agreements themselves do not explicitly outline those limitations.
The Capitol Annex project has faced ongoing criticism from transparency advocates and watchdog groups who argue that the lack of public hearings, limited disclosures, and extensive use of NDAs have shielded key decisions from public scrutiny.
Pacheco and Laird said they plan to engage more openly going forward as the project advances, signaling a shift in approach after years of silence.
KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala continues to report on the issue as part of her in-depth coverage of California politics and policy.
Originally reported by Ashley Zavala in KCRA.
