Legislative leaders are declining to disclose updated cost figures for the construction of the new Capitol Annex despite exploding budgets.
The California Legislature is refusing to tell taxpayers how much the massive new office building, meant to house lawmakers, the governor’s staff, and related offices, is truly costing, even as estimates have surged well past $1 billion.
Originally estimated in 2018 at around $543.2 million from the building, parking garage, and visitor center, the total cost has more than doubled.
Current cost projections range between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion, yet the Legislature has not publicly updated the figure in years.
Efforts to pry open the books have been stymied. News outlet KCRA reports that repeated Legislative Open Records Act requests to the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee, tasked with oversight, have gone unanswered or are delayed beyond legal deadlines.
The project’s public website hasn’t been updated since 2021, and no new hearings have been held in years.
One startling expense: the Legislature quietly spent $5.2 million to mine granite from California, ship it to Italy for finishing, then ship it back for use on the new structure, according to KCRA.
The project is slated for completion in December 2025, per the management firm overseeing construction. It also promises to be a “net-zero,” LEED Silver, and carbon-neutral facility.
But for many taxpayers, the question remains: if costs have ballooned this wildly, why won’t the Legislature open its books?
