California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill today barring Trump from the state’s primary ballots if the president does not release his tax returns. In a statement announcing the move, Newsom said that California has a “special responsibility to require this information” as the state is home to “one in nine Americans eligible to vote.” The measure also requires all gubernatorial candidates to release their tax returns in order to appear on the primary ballot. “These are extraordinary times and states have a legal and moral duty to do everything in their power to ensure leaders seeking the highest offices meet minimal standards, and to restore public confidence,” Newsom said.
A similar bill was passed by the California legislature in 2017, but was vetoed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who said he was hesitant to open the door to what could become “an ever-escalating set of differing state requirements for presidential candidates.” Newsom has not exhibited any hesitation towards the president during his short time as governor and has regularly assailed Trump while the California Justice Department challenges several of the administration’s policies. Tuesday’s bill is perhaps Newsom’s most dubious effort, and was quickly met with backlash from the White House. Jay Sekulow, President Trump’s combative personal attorney, said the bill “will be answered in court.” Read more at the Los Angeles Times.
{Matzav.com}
Whether you love President Trump, hate him, or are somewhere in the middle, this law is an egregious example of creating a new law with the explicit intention of targeting one individual. As such, it is a perfect example of abuse of power and should be struck down. What’s the next law they’ll pass – nobody with orange hair may run for President?
So who will be on the Republican ticket? It will be blank? How can they legally disenfranchise millions of voters? Are we a free Country anymore?
Newsom said that California has a “special responsibility to require this information” as the state is home to “one in nine Americans eligible to vote.”
Quite an ironic and hypocritical coming from a guy is who actually taking AWAY peoples ability to vote for who they want to.
Besides being absurd, this does not sound Constitutional.
The argument on other sites is that only the Constitution may decide what is required to qualify as a candidate. The Supreme Court (they write) has previously shunned previous attempts (before Trump) by States to add to the Constitutional requirements. And I have to agree with the comment here about the irony and hypocrisy of claiming that they are helping voters by taking away the voter’s opportunity to choose whether or not the voter cares about these things. How come this California did not see fit to demand that Obama release his school transcripts – the people have a right to know whether he was telling the truth about his school days. After all, somebody leaked George W. Bush grades at Yale without his permission (similarly Rick Perry and others), so obviously it is desired information.
“How come this California did not see fit to demand that Obama release his school transcripts – the people have a right to know whether he was telling the truth about his school days.”
In that vein, can you imagine the deafening screams from the Democrats had Texas dared to require in 2012 that all candidates release their long-form birth certificates? And there would have been more justification for that law, since candidates must be born American citizens, while there’s nothing on one’s tax return that would automatically disqualify a candidate.
I just love these short sighted far left loons.
If this becomes the law in California, somewhere down the line you can bet that it will bite the Democrats in the rear end. They never take the long view so blinded by hatred as they are.
By the way they just approved some school curriculum that teaches that Capitalism is the ultimate evil.
Can’t wait for Nevada or Colorado to have a beach.
Does the law require the same of Democrat candidates?
Simply unconstitutional.
President Trump is the President over ALL of the States in the US whether they like it or not. They can legally not make unconstitutional laws. All those who signed it should be arrested.
President Trump is the President over ALL of the States in the US whether they like it or not. They can legally not make unconstitutional laws. All those who signed it should be arrested. Today it’s Immoral California, tomorrow it’s Filthy Maryland, etc.