On November 3, 2020, the Department of Finance sent Budget Letter 20-37 to state agencies and department heads calling for immediate actions to reduce costs while maximizing the efficiency of state operations. If state leadership truly wants to reassess existing practices with a focus on “accessibility, transparency and equity to the people served by the state,” (as stated in the budget letter below) they must stop the proposed Capitol Annex Project and pursue less costly alternatives with public input. The Legislature should not bulldoze ahead with a billion-dollar demolition project while state agencies are being asked to cut costs, particularly when considering the millions of Californians still jobless and homeless as a result of catastrophic wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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