By Ashley Zavala
The two state lawmakers in charge of the California Capitol Annex project have failed to follow through on their promise to be more transparent about the construction of their new billion-dollar taxpayer funded building.
Project leaders, Democratic Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco and State Senator John Laird, refused repeated interview requests over the course of three months and would not provide any information before lawmakers break for the legislature's spring recess that begins on Thursday. This, despite assurances they made in December that they would provide a cost update in "early 2026."
Pacheco and Laird oversee the Legislature's Joint Rules Committee, which spent months delaying a key part of a Legislative Open Records Request filed by KCRA 3 in August.
KCRA 3 formally requested documents related to Turner Construction, the main company working on the new building, specifically seeking to inspect the periodic or monthly reports the company is providing lawmakers. That includes the forecast of the cost at completion of the Capitol Annex Project. Project leaders this month said they won't hand over those records until the building is finished in the fall of 2027.
On March 20, the committee's Chief Administrative Officer Lia Lopez replied to KCRA 3's request in writing stating lawmakers will not give up the records because they believe keeping them secret is in the best interest of the public.
"Documents responsive to this portion of your requests are exempt and will not be released until the Annex project is complete and any applicable claim periods have ended," Lopez wrote.
Pacheco and Laird said in an interview with KCRA 3 in December they would be more transparent about the cost of the building that will eventually house the offices of the state's 120 lawmakers and future governor and lieutenant governor.
When confronted in the hallways of the state capitol this week, neither Pacheco nor Laird would stop and talk.
"I have to go take a picture," Laird said when KCRA 3 pointed out he promised to be more transparent.
Laird oversees the Senate's powerful Budget Committee. When asked how people can trust him with money moving forward, he said, "we will be transparent."
Pacheco said updates would be coming but did not say specifically when as she tried to avoid KCRA 3.
Inside a packed elevator as KCRA 3 peppered her with questions, Pacheco claimed she was being transparent.
"We provided you all the LORA requests that you wanted," she said
At a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom told KCRA 3 the public shouldn't have to wait so long for the information.
Newsom did not approve the project and will never use the building as governor. He is also not involved in the day-to-day decision making. KCRA 3 in November also informed Newsom of a similar issue with project leaders.
"As I said last time, and I was told there was progress, let me see what I can do to help," Newsom said Wednesday. "I cannot in good conscience support that decision based on the facts you just laid out."
