Amid Capitol Annex controversy, former Historic State Capitol Commissioner explains why the group no longer exists | California Politics 360
Drama over the secretive and costly California Capitol Annex project, which is under construction now, resulted in the loss of the advisory group.
It’s hard to miss when you’re driving around Sacramento. Construction is well underway on the state capitol annex. Crews are constructing *** new office building that will house the offices for the governor, legislature, and other state officials, but this taxpayer pundit project is shrouded in secrecy. In April of 2021, the project was set to cost $1.1 billion. Despite several efforts. That was the last time we got an update on the cost of the ever growing annex. Thousands of people associated with the construction have signed NDAs, not allowed to talk about the cost. Earlier I spoke with Dick Cowen, who led the now defunct Historic State Capital Commission, and he resigned because of this project. Here’s our conversation. Dick, thank you so much for being with us today. Delighted to be on Politics 360. Thank you. So I mean, first, just to catch everyone up on the situation, why does California right now essentially no longer have *** historic state capital commission? Well, the Joint Rules Committee elected to not replace any of the commissioners who turned out or resigned. Finally, Paula Pepper, *** commissioner, resigned. saying that she could do more good for the Capitol and the legislature outside the commission where we were honor bound to advise only the legislature, Paula felt she could speak to the public if she were outside, and I followed her suit, and no one was ever named to replace either of us, so there is no quorum, no commission. But how much did the capital Annex project that is being built right now as we speak. How much of that played *** role in all of that? It was entirely the annex. The other advice we gave to the legislature on use of the building, restrictions of public access to the building, historic preservation ideas, and *** master plan for Capitol Park, our dream. All of those were well received by the legislature. We’re still waiting on information with that capital annex project. It’s been years since the legislature provided the public an update on the cost of it at last check, at least 3 years ago, $1.1 billion. We’ve been asking all year for that information. And finally, one of the leaders of the project, Assembly member Blanca Pacheco, said. That she will get that information or she’ll try to is directing members of the project to provide that cost analysis so that she can give the public an update. Just what is your response to that? First of all, congratulations. I think it was largely the KCRA 3 pressure that you brought that led her to that decision. Um, I don’t know why she needed to wait. Uh, I’m sure that the professional staff, and professional consulting firms that the legislature hired have that information right at their fingertips at least once *** month in *** formal report. So perhaps the news is either worse than we fear or. Explaining it is more difficult than we might appreciate. That must be the reason it’s taking so long. Pacheco and the Joint Rules Committee overseeing this project is blaming the litigation that I understand you were *** part of, which ended *** year ago as *** reason behind the delay and the update to the public. I mean, is that fair? Well, um, certainly I would agree, uh, that the, uh, failure of the state to properly do its California Environmental Quality Act environmental review led to delays. Our lawsuits were *** part of that. But as you say, those suits were settled *** year ago, so any cost of *** suspended time period should have been settled within 60 days of the court issues being ruled on. I can’t imagine why those are still in question. Unless there are claims among the different project contractors, I don’t know of any, but I wonder about that. Governor Gavin Newsom said that he would essentially help in this effort to make this project more transparent, get us more access to the legislators who are leading it. Technically his office is not overseeing every single little detail here. But I mean, what do you make of his approach to this project and sort of the situation that they all find themselves in at this point? Well, um, while Speaker Pachenko and Senate pro Tim McGuire can be said to have inherited this problem as they took the roles in leading the legislature. The governor’s office has had one of the 3 seats on the executive committee managing the project since inception. Uh, so you know, if his representative is fulfilling, uh, the governor’s office role, um, you know, I don’t know that he’s distant from the project. He’s involved in it, true, only 1 out of 3 votes, uh, but *** heavy influence on where the project started. where the project is now, you mentioned that executive committee and all three members of it, including Assembly member Blanco Pacheco, State Senator John Laird, and the governor’s representative Miroslava de la O, they all signed nondisclosure agreements in this project along with 2000 other people. I mean, and we know that those those NDAs continue to be signed as of this year. From your perspective in your roles in preservation on that historic state Capitol commission. Could there be an effort to invalidate them? What should happen with those NDAs at this point? So I’m not an attorney. I don’t know exactly what would be required, but if the legislature can find some courage and find *** way to invalidate those, I think just the Joint Rules Committee, to whom all of the signers are bound, were to release the signers. That would be sufficient, but maybe it would take *** law. Uh, certainly it would be interesting if if some legislature introduced *** bill saying the nondisclosure agreements relating to the capital annex project were. And valid, then any committee of the legislature or any legislator for that matter could interview people and work on the questions that I know the public really would like to hear. Dick Cowen, thank you so much for your insight. We really appreciate it. Delighted to be here. Thank you.
Amid Capitol Annex controversy, former Historic State Capitol Commissioner explains why the group no longer exists | California Politics 360
Drama over the secretive and costly California Capitol Annex project, which is under construction now, resulted in the loss of the advisory group.
Updated: 8:25 AM PST Nov 30, 2025
It has been more than six years since California’s Historic State Capitol Commission last met. The government advisory board had been around for decades to preserve the historic integrity of California’s Capitol building. The commission was established during the California Capitol Restoration Project, which began in 1976. But drama over the secretive and costly California Capitol Annex project, which is under construction now, resulted in the loss of the advisory group. Meeting documents show when the commission last met in October 2019, the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee overseeing the project refused to allow the leader of the commission, Dick Cowan, from seeing the project’s overview and plan. Six years later, the same committee has been refusing to release public records and provide basic cost updates to taxpayers who are funding the construction. “The Joint Rules Committee elected not to replace the commissioners who termed out or resigned,” Cowan said in an interview on California Politics 360. He resigned from the commission. “There is no quorum, no commission,” he said. “It was entirely the annex.” Cowan said. It has been years since state lawmakers provided a public update on the project’s total cost estimate at about $1.1 billion in 2021. KCRA 3 has been reporting over the last couple of years on the secrecy surrounding the project, the thousands of people who were forced to sign confidentiality agreements related to the project, and the Joint Rules Committee’s refusal to provide key cost information. The last time the Legislature held a hearing on the project was in 2021. The leader of the Joint Rules Committee, Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, released a statement earlier this month stating that she hoped to provide an update before the end of the year. “I think it was largely the KCRA 3 pressure that led her to that decision,” Cowan said. “I don’t know why she needed to wait. I’m sure the professional staff and professional consulting firms that the legislature hired have that information right at their fingertips at least once a month in a formal report,” Cowan said. “Perhaps the news is even worse than we fear or explaining it is more difficult than we might appreciate, that must be the reason why it’s taking so long,” Cowan said. Watch the full interview with Dick Cowan in the video player above. KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
It has been more than six years since California’s Historic State Capitol Commission last met.
The government advisory board had been around for decades to preserve the historic integrity of California’s Capitol building. The commission was established during the California Capitol Restoration Project, which began in 1976.
But drama over the secretive and costly California Capitol Annex project, which is under construction now, resulted in the loss of the advisory group.
Meeting documents show when the commission last met in October 2019, the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee overseeing the project refused to allow the leader of the commission, Dick Cowan, from seeing the project’s overview and plan.
Six years later, the same committee has been refusing to release public records and provide basic cost updates to taxpayers who are funding the construction.
“The Joint Rules Committee elected not to replace the commissioners who termed out or resigned,” Cowan said in an interview on California Politics 360. He resigned from the commission. “There is no quorum, no commission,” he said.
“It was entirely the annex.” Cowan said.
It has been years since state lawmakers provided a public update on the project’s total cost estimate at about $1.1 billion in 2021.
KCRA 3 has been reporting over the last couple of years on the secrecy surrounding the project, the thousands of people who were forced to sign confidentiality agreements related to the project, and the Joint Rules Committee’s refusal to provide key cost information.
The last time the Legislature held a hearing on the project was in 2021.
The leader of the Joint Rules Committee, Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, released a statement earlier this month stating that she hoped to provide an update before the end of the year.
“I think it was largely the KCRA 3 pressure that led her to that decision,” Cowan said. “I don’t know why she needed to wait. I’m sure the professional staff and professional consulting firms that the legislature hired have that information right at their fingertips at least once a month in a formal report,” Cowan said.
“Perhaps the news is even worse than we fear or explaining it is more difficult than we might appreciate, that must be the reason why it’s taking so long,” Cowan said.
Watch the full interview with Dick Cowan in the video player above.
KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel