On February 28, both houses of the Hawaii legislature passed the presidential candidate tax returns bills on second reading. “Second reading” does not formally pass a bill, but it is easy to predict that such bills will pass on “third reading”, after they have passed second reading. The bills are SB 94 and HB 712.
The bills bar presidential candidates from the general election ballot if the candidate has not released tax returns. The bills also bar presidential electors from voting for a presidential candidate who has not released returns. There is no presidential primary in Hawaii so the bill, if passed, has no effect before the general election.
One more reason to ABOLISH THE EC — AND EVEN MANY SMALL POP STATES – esp in the middle of the very large Pacific Ocean.
HB 712 also applies to gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates and mayoral cnadidates. In Hawaii, a mayor is the chieve executive of a county government.
SB 94 requires the candidate to post their tax return.