Cutting regulations and increasing water supply were the consensus themes at a forum Wednesday in Fresno among six candidates for California governor.

The gubernatorial hopefuls met on stage at the Resnick Student Union on the Fresno State campus to discuss affordability and agriculture.

All presented messages that overregulation is hurting farming and vowed to cut regulations. Several advocated an “all of the above” approach on energy, homebuilding, and water storage. Some were more specific than others. All positioned themselves as friends of farmers.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, D-San Jose, called for “comprehensive CEQA reform,” referring to the state law requiring construction to comply with environmental regulations. He also called for an “all of the above” energy strategy and said he would suspend the gas tax.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, D-Los Angeles, said he wants to reduce regulations on refineries, including a moratorium on state air board regulations. He proposed a gas tax rebate when prices reach $5.50 a gallon.

Former Fox News contributor Steve Hilton, R-Atherton, blasted Democrats on the stage.

“Every single Democrat should start with an apology for what their party has done to this area and this industry,” Hilton said in his opening remarks. Among the specific policies he discussed were reducing vehicle registration fees to a flat $71 and opening offshore oil drilling to reduce gas prices to $3 a gallon.

Hilton’s approach resonated with others, such as former Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, who said she wants to build housing faster to reduce costs. She said she agrees with Hilton’s plan to eliminate the state income tax for all earners making less than $100,000 yearly.

“Family farmers and smaller farmers are losing, day after day, year after year. It is to the peril of not just our agricultural communities but the entire country,” Porter said in her opening remarks.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, R-Woodcrest, said he would eliminate regulations and taxes through a stroke of a pen.

Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, D-Sacramento, said he would declare a state of emergency to increase affordable housing construction. He also vowed to freeze insurance and energy rates until a study is completed on why they are so high in the first place.

The Western Growers Association and several other groups sponsored the event, which was livestreamed. Several executives from the agricultural companies attended the 90-minute event. Former Assemblymember Kristin Olsen-Cate and Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes moderated.

Agreements on Water

All candidates agreed the state needs to relax policies to increase the water supply.

Becerra said farmers need more “predictability” on water allotment.

“Water is more precious than gold. Let’s make it work,” Becerra said.

Bianco called for the building of “massive dams,” but environmental regulations prevent doing so.

“It’s an ideological, Democratic agenda that if they want to fix, they have complete control. They could have done it yesterday,” Bianco said.

“It is partisan. It’s a choice,” Hilton said. He vowed to appoint people to water boards to help achieve his goal of increasing water allotments.

Mahan criticized the state’s water conveyance system as outdated and losing water. He called it “a crime” that it has taken this long to build more water storage.

Porter said regulations are “choking off” farming. She said farmers have already innovated and stretched enough.

“There is no magic wand to create more water,” Porter said.

Partisan Solutions?

Hilton continued his attacks, saying the Democratic Party needs to “abandon the climate dogma” that he blames for high prices.

Villaraigosa said if you make issues partisan, “you’re never going to get elected in this state.” That elicited a guffaw from Porter.

Hilton responded to the call for less partisanship by saying it was the “arrogance of one-party rule.”

“What contempt for the voters of this state,” Hilton said.

As Mahan responded, rejecting “binary, partisan oversimplification,” Hilton shook his head in disagreement.

President Donald Trump was only mentioned by name twice by Porter in her closing statement.

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, was among several elected officials andcandidates attending the debate. He has not made an endorsement.

Other Candidates and Other Events

Tom Steyer, D-San Francisco, a billionaire businessperson who has blanketed California airwaves with his campaign message, did not appear in Fresno. His campaign said he had an event in the Tijuana River Valley. Steyer did announce a town hall in Fresno on April 7 at 6:15 p.m. at a yet-to-be revealed location.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Livermore, did not attend. Organizers previously said he had prior commitments.

Mendes referred to Steyer and Swalwell as “chicken hearts” for not attending.

Another, lesser-hyped, gubernatorial forum takes place later on Wednesday. The UC Merced Community and Labor Center is partnering with other groups to host five candidates — Becerra, Mahan, Porter, Villaraigosa, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at Fresno City College.

The added debate drew criticism from one candidate, former state Controller Betty Yee, D-San Francisco.

“I’m disappointed I can’t attend this forum in the Central Valley, where I have visited on a regular basis to listen to the voices of its diverse communities. The forum is scheduled at the start of Passover when families and communities gather for the Seder meal and the ritual of retelling the story of the Exodus and reflecting on its significance today,” Yee wrote on her X page.

Hilton also had an event planned after the debate in downtown Fresno with Pastor Jim Franklin to discuss the “family first agenda.”