The End of the Annex, First Draft of the Bill of Rights and MUCH more with State Librarian Greg Lucas

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Prior to his appointment as California State Librarian in 2014, Greg Lucas was a longtime journalist, covering California politics for The Los Angeles Daily Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle and even Capitol Weekly. Much of his 20 year run at The Chron was spent in or around the Capitol, covering the legislature or the Governor, and kibitzing with other reporters. Oh, how things have changed.

If the Dome is the most iconic part of the Capitol building in Sacramento, its heart was The Annex, an unfussy and businesslike addition that was begun in 1949 and completed in 1952. The Annex housed nearly all legislators’ offices, the Governor’s Office, and Room 1190 – where every governor from Earl Warren to Gavin Newsom has held regular Press Conferences. This month marks the end of an era as wrecking crews began the demolition of the Annex in preparation for a new, expanded Capitol Annex to be built in its place.

In this episode Lucas joins us for a wide-ranging discussion that includes his memories of The Annex, the fraternal culture that prevailed in the building decades ago, the changing nature of political media coverage, the role the Schwarzeneggers played in reimagining the Capitol, and a look at the nature of Democracy itself.

And, as always we tell you Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics.

Episode Notes:

1:27 Memories of the Annex

5:27 Seating arrangements

7:37 Jerry Gilliam on Pat Brown

9:40 New Annex origin story: Arnold Schwarzenegger

12:18 Maria Shriver’s influence

16:27 The Doghouse

19:22 The fraternity

22:30 Uncle Frank

23:40 Sen. Shannon Grove and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library

24:27 A letter to President Gerald Ford

28:46 The first draft of the Bill of Rights

29:46 Why is the CA Supreme Court in San Francisco?

31:13 Opposition to the Annex project

32:26 The State Library’s basement

33:21 Last thoughts on the Annex

38:10 Did people hate the Annex in 1950?

40:25 What are you reading?

47:11 #WWCA