On June 19, the California Assembly Elections Committee passed both bills that alter the California presidential primaries.  SB 27 requires candidates to reveal the last five years of their tax returns.  SB 505 requires presidential candidates who want to be in a presidential primary to sign a declaration, and also fulfill at least one particular act to show that the candidate is serious.  The easiest such act is to have qualified for the presidential primary in one other state.

SB 27, concerning tax returns, clearly violates the State Constitution, which says that “recognized” candidates will be on a presidential primary ballot.  It defies our common vocabulary to say that President Donald Trump (assuming he continues to withhold his tax returns from public disclosure) is not a “recognized” presidential candidate.  I testified about the State Constitution at the hearing, but no legislator reacted to that point.  The bill passed with all Democrats, but no Republicans, voting “yes.”