SB 27 still needs approval from lawmakers in State Assembly, which is also dominated by Democrats. It is highly likely that the bill will pass the lower chamber and will move to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for final approval.
In 2017, the California legislature passed a similar bill, but then Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it. At the time, Brown did no release his tax returns.
Gov. Newsom will evaluate the bill based on merits
A spokesperson for Newsom told AP that the Governor will evaluate the SB 27 on its own merits. If Newsom signs the bill into law and Trump does not release his tax returns, his names may not appear on California’s primary ballot.
California is among the first states to hold its presidential primary in 2020.
State Sen. Brian Jones, a Republican, commented, “I get that playing the resistance card may be good politics for the majority party, but I would submit that it’s bad policy for Californians.”
State legislatures in New Jersey and Washington are proposing similar bills. In New York, a lawmaker proposed a bill to allow a requesting Congressional committee to obtain Trump’s state tax returns.
