$1.1B California Capitol to include hidden corridors for lawmakers

Daily Mail​

23-04-2025

A new $1.1 billion capitol building in California will have secret corridors for lawmakers to use to avoid the press, according to a state senator. The construction of the massive building, known as the Capitol Annex Project, was first introduced in 2018 with an estimated cost of $543.2 million to complete. Now, the building will cost more than a billion dollars, and that price tag will be footed by Golden State taxpayers, KCRA 3 reported. The structure will house 120 lawmakers, including the governor, lieutenant governor and other staff members.
Newsom did not commission the project, which was started before he even took office. He and several other lawmakers will not be housed there as they will be out of office by its completion date in the second half of 2027. It will also house committee hearing rooms for lawmakers to meet and debate on pressing issues related to the liberal state. Although details about the project have remained under wraps, Pro Tempore State Senator Mike McGuire confirmed there will be private hallways in the building for lawmakers to access so they can avoid the public and the media. 'Secure corridors have always been included in plans for the new annex (as they already exist in the swing space) and are designed to help ensure the safety and security of lawmakers, which is even more important today given the events that unfolded on January 6th at our nation's capital building and the active threats public officials continue to face,' McGuire told the outlet.
Despite the hidden tunnels, he said all legislators 'will continue to be accessible and responsive.' 'Regardless, legislators will continue to be accessible and responsive to the public, staff, and reporters no matter what hallway, elevator or stairwell they choose to use. The same is true when they're working in their communities or at events around town,' the Democrat said. Presently, lawmakers have their own private entrances to elevators and hearing rooms, but they still have to walk through a public hallway to get from one to the other - something McGuire called their 'swing space.' With the new corridors, the space in between will be no more - ultimately blocking journalists and lobbyists from getting to lawmakers after a hearing or vote.
The new addition has sparked anger in many Californians, including local lawmakers like Assemblyman Josh Hoover (pictured). He referred to the corridors as 'the height of hypocrisy,' adding: 'You are using taxpayer dollars for a taxpayer-funded facility and yet you are going to design it in a way that shields you from the public and shields you from accountability.' The project has long caused trouble, as it just got past a lawsuit that was filed by Cowan, the ex-chairman of the Historic State Capitol Commission, environmentalists and project opponents who claimed lawmakers did not get enough feedback from the public to move forward with the west side construction of the building.
The group also voiced concerns about the uprooting of several palm trees and the all-glass façade for the building. The lawsuit was recently settled after the California Supreme Court ruled last fall that lawmakers could exempt the project from the California Environmental Quality Act, which was passed and signed by former President Ronald Regan in 1970. With news of the new passageways, Cowan (pictured) said extra security expenses were made after the January 6 US capitol attack - when a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building. 'The Capitol police in Washington D.C., were able to escort our nation's legislators safely through some corridors into safe rooms at the Capitol while the rioters were occupying the Capitol,' Cowan said. 'Shortly after that, managers for the Capitol annex project announced the project was 5 percent to 10 percent over budget.'
Following the attack, former Joint Rules Committee Chairman Ken Cooley said the budget for the Annex Project needed 10 percent more money for security purposes. He then lost his seat in the Assembly to Hoover in 2022, leaving many critics to think he was ousted for the handling of the project. 'We are just guessing, but if one were to say, "Yeah, we had to invest an additional $100,000,000 to create these potential escape corridors," that would make sense,' Cowan explained.
It is unclear how much money will actually be spent on security features for the project as these conversations took place in 2021, the outlet reported. The costly price tag of the building aside, many have been left frustrated for barely knowing any details about the new structure. In fact, lawmakers had to sign non-disclosure agreements that legally force them to keep all details of the project a secret. 'At this time, our priority is to complete the Annex. There is no discussion or construction occurring on the West side,' Lia Lopez, the chief administrative officer for the Joint Rules Committee, told KCRA 3.
Despite that, Cowan is skeptical if the legislature will actually not build on the west side of the building, which would save about $100,000 for taxpayers. The hefty price tag is said to also go toward a new visitor's center and parking garage on the west side, per the outlet. Meanwhile, Hoover is frustrated with his lack of knowledge on the project as a whole. 'What frustrates me is, as a lawmaker that is going to potentially be in this building some day, we have almost zero information about what's going on there and I think we deserve that information, and so do our taxpayers and constituents,' he said. DailyMail.com contacted Lopez for comment.