Page 5 - DVG

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 31 July 2019

California governor signs

bill on presidential tax returns

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE at Republican President "These are extraordinary
and ADAM BEAM Donald Trump. times and states have a le-
Associated Press Most of the major Demo- gal and moral duty to do
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) cratic candidates for presi- everything in their power
— California's Democrat- dent have already publicly to ensure leaders seeking
ic governor signed a law disclosed their personal in- the highest offices meet
Tuesday requiring presiden- come tax returns as Trump minimal standards, and to
tial candidates to release has refused to do so, break- restore public confidence,"
their tax returns to appear ing with decades of tradi- Newsom wrote in his sign-
This July 23, 2019 photo shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom on the state's primary bal- tion by candidates from ing statement.
during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. lot, a move aimed squarely both parties. While states have authority
Associated Press The Trump campaign said over how candidates can
the law signed by Newsom access their ballots, the
is "unconstitutional." But U.S. Constitution lays out a
even if the law withstands limited set of qualifications
a likely legal challenge, candidates must meet to
Trump could avoid the re- run for president, said Rick
quirement by choosing not Hasen, a professor special-
to compete in California's izing in election law at the
March 3rd primary. University of California-Ir-
The Republican National vine School of Law.
Committee does not re- Those qualifications include
quire candidates to ap- requiring presidential can-
pear on primary ballots didates be over age 35,
in all 50 states. With no born in the U.S. and live at
credible GOP challenger least 14 years in the coun-
at this point, Trump likely try.
won't need California's del- The U.S. Supreme court has
egates to win the Repub- previously halted state ef-
lican nomination. The law forts to add ballot access
does not apply to the gen- rules for congressional can-
eral election ballot. didates.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, one The bill's author, Demo-
of California's two repre- cratic Sen. Mike McGuire,
sentatives on the Republi- said it would be "inconsis-
can National Committee, tent" with past practice for
called the bill an "illegal Trump to forego the pri-
voter suppression scheme." mary ballot and "ignore the
Removing Trump from the most popular and vote-rich
state's primary ballot would state in the nation."
likely depress turnout from In a tweet to Trump, Mc-
GOP voters for down-ticket Guire said: "If you want to
races and ballot measures, be on the CA primary bal-
she said. lot, release your returns. It's
Newsom, who has repeat- a low bar to hit, unless you
edly sparred with Trump have something to hide."
over immigration policy Tax returns show income,
and California's troubled charitable giving and busi-
high-speed rail project, ness dealings, all of which
said the state's influence as Democratic state lawmak-
one of the world's largest ers say voters are entitled
economies gives it "a spe- to know about.
cial responsibility" to hold California is the first state to
candidates to high ethical enact legislation compel-
standards, including dis- ling political candidates to
closing information about disclose their personal in-
their personal finances. come tax returns. q