Tales of Actual Legislation: Senator plans Trump tax release bill

State Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, will introduce legislation next session that would require candidates for president and vice president in New York to file at least five years’ worth of their federal income tax returns with the state Board of Elections in order to appear on the ballot.

The Tax Returns Uniformly Made Public — yes, that spells TRUMP — Act would require that the returns are filed no later than 50 days prior to the general election. It would give the Board of Elections 10 days to redact personal information and make them publicly available on the BOE website.

Candidates who do not submit their returns would not appear on the general election ballot under the Hoylman bill. Also, New York’s Electoral College representatives would be prohibited from casting a vote for candidates who do not comply.

“For over four decades, tax returns have given voters an important window into the financial holdings and potential conflicts-of-interest of presidential candidates,” Hoylman said in a statement. “Sadly, President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly refused to release copies of his federal income taxes prior to the election, denying voters this crucial information. This isn’t normal. Voters deserve to know that personal priorities will never take precedence over the national interest.”

Read more: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/269910/tales-of-actual-legislation-senator-plans-trump-tax-release-bill/