By Ashley Zavala
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Lawmakers overseeing the construction of California's controversial Capitol Annex project are breaking their years-long silence and promising to be more transparent.
The legislature's Joint Rules Committee has been making the day-to-day decisions on the new building that will house the new offices of state lawmakers and the governor. The committee has not had a public hearing on the project or updated the project's website since 2021.
Democratic Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco and State Senator John Laird have been leading the committee since 2023. KCRA 3 had been asking for an interview with the two for several months, and the two agreed to sit down over Zoom on Monday.
California lawmakers and the governor have budgeted $1.1 billion for the project, which was the cost estimate in 2022. It has been years since project leaders updated the estimated cost, and that was still the case as of Monday. Pacheco stated last month that she had directed staff to prepare an update on the project's cost and status overall.
Pacheco and Laird noted Monday that the $1.1 billion figure could change. The two said that lawmakers have spent $518 million of the $1.1 billion so far.
"This interview is the first of many," Pacheco said. "We believe it's important for us to be transparent."
After the interview, KCRA 3 obtained a legislative memo updating staff and lawmakers on the project, sent by Pacheco and Laird's Joint Rules Committee. The memo signaled the legislature is parting ways with MOCA Systems, the project management consultants that have been working on the Capitol Annex since it first began.
Neither Laird nor Pacheco shared this in the interview. KCRA 3 has reached out to MOCA and the Joint Rules Committee for comment and information as to why the state won't be renewing the contract with the company.
"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.
In the interview, Pacheco and Laird also faced questions about money quietly spent on security, Italian stonework and other aspects of the project that have been decided behind closed doors.
Pacheco confirmed there will be "secure hallways" meant for only lawmakers and staff, which will allow them to avoid the public as they move through the new building. Pacheco said California taxpayers are spending a total of $64 million on security measures.
The two also tried to justify the use of non-disclosure agreements on the project that legally force people involved in the project to keep basic and broad information secret. They stated that they are meant to protect security and sensitive bidding information, even though the NDAs do not explicitly say that.
Watch the full interview in the video player below:
