He was born and raised in Merced and put himself through college working at his family’s dairy supply. After school, Adam worked in the State Legislature where he fought to eliminate the Tractor Tax on farm equipment. He eventually returned home to teach a class on the State Legislature at UC Merced. When the Great Recession hit, Adam chose to step up and be part of the solution. He was elected to the State Assembly where he has represented Merced County and Stanislaus County for the past decade.
Secured funding to create the VIPER program, resulting in the arrest of 50 gang leaders and confiscation of weapons and ammunition from the streets. This cut the county’s murder rate in half in the first year.
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Wrote the bill to crack down on theft of parts from irrigation pumps and farm equipment.
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Wrote a bill to eliminate the Ticket Tax – a 20% surcharge on traffic fines that goes entirely into the General Fund and does not support any specific program.
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Secured $1 million to bolster UC Merced law enforcement after an attack on campus linked to ISIS.
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Carrying AB 2682 – supported by district attorneys, police chiefs, sheriffs and others in law enforcement – to fight catalytic converter and organized retail theft.
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Opposed zero bail, which voters also rejected as Prop 25.
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Opposed Prop 47, which reduced sentencing, allowing criminals to return to communities before rehabilitation had been completed.
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Worked across the aisle to advance a bill making the theft of any firearm a felony regardless of its financial value to reverse a critical mistake created by Prop 47.
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Opposed Prop 57, that allowed early prison release and is now linked to retail theft rings.
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Worked with law enforcement to ban the use of the chokehold that killed George Floyd without jeopardizing officer safety.