Darin DuPont

Husband. Father. Attorney. Merced County Native. Merced City Councilmember running for CA Senate District 14. #NewGeneration #StrongerValley 🇺🇸🇵🇭

[Senator Tony Strickland @SenStricklandCA]

Today, Senate Democrats passed Senate Bill 169, a Transportation Budget Trailer Bill.

I voted NO because a provision in this bill would allow the High-Speed Rail Inspector General to keep pertinent information hidden from the public.

The Office of the High-Speed Rail Inspector General was created to enhance accountability & help shine a light on issues with this project, assisting the Legislature in its efforts to rein it in. Instead, this bill would do the opposite.

Preventing waste, fraud, and abuse should be a bipartisan issue.

#caleg #highspeedfail
@CASenReps

[Brian W. Jones @SenBrianJones]

I Voted No on the Democrats' $14 Billion Tax Increase.

This budget raises $14 billion in new taxes including a software tax and a health insurance tax that could cost families over $400 a year.

Every year the answer is the same. Spend more. Tax more. Never once ask if the spending was worth it. California cannot tax its way out of a spending problem and it is time we started saying so out loud. #FixCalifornia

[Joe Patterson @Patterdude]

$3.2 billion taken out of healthcare to balance budget, $3.9 billion stolen from schools, $688 million in debt paid to fed govt for unemployment fraud loan, $14 billion out of reserves, sales tax on apps and software… gas tax increase in 2 weeks.

But bravo! 🙌

[Jim Cooper @SheriffJCooper]

Californians were fed up with retail theft and passed Prop 36 in all 58 counties with nearly 70% voter approval.

Instead of fully funding and implementing what voters demanded, state legislators drafted AB 2108 and created yet another diversion program: this time for retail theft offenders.

Like mental health diversion, it offers another way to avoid jail time. Offenders even walk away without a conviction on their record. Even more surprising is that some of California’s largest retailers, along with the California Retailers Association, support the bill despite reporting billions of dollars in losses due to retail theft.

Voters wanted meaningful consequences for retail theft offenders, but the state legislature moved in the opposite direction.

[CalTax @CalTax]

The Assembly voted to approve billions in new taxes that will increase costs for California consumers, employers, and innovators. The tax hikes now move to the state Senate.

[Fresno County Republican Party @FresnoCountyGOP]

Congratulations to Darin DuPont for State Senate District 14 on his win in the primary election! @DuPontforSenate

[Ashley Zavala @ZavalaA]

Sen. Tony Strickland had repeatedly asked if a California company has been found to price gouge.

Department of Petroleum Market Oversight leader Tai Milder says they have not.

[Ashley Zavala @ZavalaA]

The California State Senate Energy Committee is having an oversight hearing on the state’s oil and gas supply.

The Newsom administration has so far spent the first hour making the point that the oil industry is making more money off of California drivers.

[Westside Farmer @JoeDelBosque]

This is not the best of times to inflict an almost $3 hike in minimum wage on farms in California. Orchards are being pulled out, tomato acreage cut back, cannery closures, skyrocketing costs of fuel and fertilizers, and impacts from trade wars. @GavinNewsom stop this bill!

[Ashley Zavala @ZavalaA]

Just In:
CA Legislative Analyst's Office releases initial response to Gov. Newsom's final proposed state spending plan.

@LAO_CA says California's structural money problem is officially here and the state is "ill-prepared" if revenues slip:
https://t.co/KcH0Xu6QCA

[Dan Walters @DanCALmatters]

New column: Democratic legislators weigh new taxes and blame Trump for California's deficit https://t.co/fVzwGyHSHB

[Senator Tony Strickland @SenStricklandCA]

Severin Borenstein, an economist and researcher at the UC Berkeley Energy Institute, agreed that a gas tax holiday would help consumers. My bill, Senate Bill 1035, would have temporarily suspended the gas tax.

Borenstein also confirmed USC Professor Michael Mische’s 2025 prediction that drivers could face gasoline prices exceeding $8 per gallon in 2026.

My legislation would have suspended the gas tax for one year, lowering the price of gasoline by as much as $1.08 per gallon and saving families about $1,100.

As Borenstein said, “There’s no question it would help consumers.”

#caleg @CASenReps

[Darin DuPont @DuPontforSenate]

The statements and posts made by President Trump regarding Catholics and the Pope are wrong, disrespectful and self-centered. To believe the Pope is chosen because of our politics in the United States, is completely false.

[Eytan Wallace @EytanWallace]

NEW: @AsmwomanMacedo @AliMacedo4CA (R-Tulare) announces she and @AsmRepublicans are calling for a special legislative session to address fraud immediately.

"We need harsher penalties for the fraudsters," she said.

A special session, per Macedo, would focus on bringing "accountability back to our spending and assure taxpayers when their dollars come to the state capitol, we are spending them and using them wisely and making sure they are getting to the programs and the people they are meant to protect."

[California Assembly Republicans @AsmRepublicans]

$9.99 diesel.

You think that sign is wrong?

No. That is the cost of how this state has been run.

Layer it on. Fees. rules. mandates. then more.

@AssemblyDems @CAgovernor LOVE talking about the “4th largest economy.”

Ask a trucker what that feels like.

[Fresno County Republican Party @FresnoCountyGOP]

The Fresno County Republican Party is proud to endorse Darin DuPont for State Senate District 14 🇺🇸 @DuPontforSenate

[Darin DuPont @DuPontforSenate]

He is Risen. Happy Easter to everyone. I hope you are all enjoying time with your families and friends on this beautiful day in the Central Valley!

[CBS Sacramento @CBSSacramento]

For years, California leaders accused oil companies of price gouging at the pump, but a state investigation found no evidence of that. Instead, a CBS News California investigation found what's really driving the highest gas prices in the U.S. https://t.co/NTCE6Dx6kl

[Julie Watts @juliewattsTV]

WATCH THE STORY HERE: https://t.co/5V5EM6N3d0

[Darin DuPont @DuPontforSenate]

This week we celebrated Farmworkers Day! I want to thank everyone who works in agriculture, and encourage California to do a better job supporting our farmers. If we can’t water our fields, we can’t feed our families.

#SD14 #FarmworkersDay #WaterStorage #DuPontForSenate