The Washington state Senate passed a measure this week that would keep President Trump’s name from appearing on the 2020 presidential election ballot until he makes his tax returns available to the public.
CBS News reported that the bill, which passed in a 28-21 vote and is headed to the state House for consideration, would require all presidential candidates who wish to appear on the ballot in the state to publicly release five years of tax returns before the state would allow them to appear on a primary or general election ballot.
The Democrats supporting the bill argued that the measure is necessary because it forces presidential candidates to release their tax returns.
“Although releasing tax returns has been the norm for about the last 40 years in presidential elections, unfortunately we’ve seen that norm broken,” said Sen. Patty Kuderer, the Democrat who sponsored the bill.
Republican lawmakers, however, have warned that the state could be putting itself at risk for legal challenges for trying to enact rules “on a federal election.”
“We’re on really risky ground when we’re trying to place conditions on a federal election,” said Republican Sen. Hans Zeiger.
Other state legislatures have also proposed similar bills calling for candidates to release their tax returns.
New Jersey’s state senate passed a similar measure and is currently up for consideration in the state’s general assembly.
Democrats have been calling for Trump to release his tax returns since the 2016 election when Trump decided not to release his tax returns.
Trump said at the time that he had been under audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Since congressional Democrats took back the House, they have vowed to make Trump’s tax returns a subject of scrutiny.
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