On April 15, the Oregon Senate Rules Committee heard testimony on SB 594, which would require presidential candidates in November to turn over the last five years of their income tax returns. The Committee did not vote on the bill. A similar bill had been introduced in Oregon in 2017, but it did not pass. See this story. Thanks to Steve Kamp for the link.
Howard Schultz has not formally declared his candidacy as an independent presidential candidate, but he is campaigning daily and has already visited 16 or 17 states. See this map from his website.
On April 15 he campaigned in Arizona. See this story.
On April 15, former Massachusetts Governor William Weld formally declared himself a candidate for the Republican 2020 presidential nomination. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
Colorado Representative Susan Lontine (D-Denver) and Senator Stephen Fenberg (D-Boulder) have introduced HB 19-1278. It amends many election laws. It makes it more difficult for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, to get on the ballot (except for President). It raises the U.S. House petition from 800 to 1,500. It raises the State Senate petition from 600 to 1,000. It raises the State House petition from 400 to 1,000. It raises the petition for Governor and U.S. Senator from 1,000 to 10,500, with a congressional district distribution requirement of 1,500 per district. If Colorado gains a House seat after the 2020 census, the requirement would automatically go to 12,000.
The bill has been attacked in print by Angela Myers, Larimer County Clerk & Recorder, for some of its non-related provisions. See this op-ed. Thanks to John Palmer for this news.
On April 5, Idaho Governor Brad Little, a Republican, vetoed SB 1159. This is the bill that made it more difficult for statewide initiatives to get on the ballot. Among other things, it increased the petition from 6% of the registered voters, to 10%. Here is his veto message. It is a rather strange veto message.
