December 2, 2021
On Friday, November 12, 2021, Save Our Capitol! (SOC) sued the Joint Committee on Rules of the California State Senate and Assembly (JRC), and the Department of General Services (DGS).
SOC’s purpose in bringing the suit is singular: to force the JRC and the DGS to follow the law that requires them to consult with the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) concerning the Capitol Annex Project before the bulldozers destroy these irreplaceable historical resources.
Sections 5024 and 5024.5 of California’s Public Resources Code require all state agencies to consult with OHP “for any project having the potential to affect historical resources. . . .”
The law requires this consultation to take place “early in the planning process.” That did not happen, however, and the JRC and DGS stand ready to destroy these landmarks at any moment, without even an attempt to comply with this law.
Please click here for a copy of the Complaint initiating SOC’s legal challenge to the JRC’s and DGS’ unlawful actions.
On November 17, 2021, SOC held a press conference and coalition rally on the West Steps and West Plaza of the Capitol to call public attention to the immediate and imminent danger to the Capitol, the Capitol Annex, and Capitol Park––the entire historic site having been placed on city, state, and national historic registries.
Most people are unaware that the Capitol Annex Project will destroy the West Entrance, West Steps, and West Plaza. This will eliminate the People’s free and open access to the People’s House, where, for decades, citizens have gathered to exercise constitutional freedoms––of religion, speech, the press, peaceably to assemble, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
According to a licensed arborist, the three-part Project will result in elevated risk of damage or death to 188 Capitol Park trees. Click here for a copy of the Arborist Report.
On behalf of all who respect the rule of law and our democratic values, SOC is calling for the JRC and DGS to be held accountable to the same laws that govern all law-abiding citizens.
About Save Our Capitol!
The California State Capitol is at the heart of the mile-long nationally recognized historic site—from the East end of the 1874 Capitol Park to the West end of the 1935 Tower Bridge. Save Our Capitol! is dedicated to the historic preservation of the Capitol and its surrounding Park as the Center and Symbol of the People’s Right to Truth, Transparency, and Trust in Self-Governance.
