On May 8, the New York Senate passed SB 5072 by 39-21.  It says that if the Chair of the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee asks the state of New York for a copy of the New York state income tax return of any individual, the state will comply with the request.  The bill also mentions two other types of congressional chair, but it is the House Ways & Means reference that is meaningful, because that member of Congress has already asked to see the federal tax return of Donald Trump.  Of course Trump is a taxpayer in New York state, so this bill is about him.  Here is the text.  A similar bill, AB 7194-A, is pending in the New York Assembly.

The Daily Beast here notes that Howard Schultz has not campaigned anywhere for two weeks.  The reporter interviewed some of his campaign associates who pooh-pooh the idea that he is losing interest in being an independent presidential candidate.  But the article also speculates that Joe Biden’s entrance into the Democratic race, and his lead in the polls for the Democratic nomination, may motivate Schultz not to run.  Thanks to Political Wire for the link.

It is likely that a U.S. District Court Judge will hear Libertarian Party of Arkansas v Thurston, e.d., 4:19cv-214, on June 4, Tuesday.  This is the case that challenges the number of signatures needed for a newly-qualifying party in Arkansas, 3% of the last gubernatorial vote.  The law was changed earlier this year from 10,000 to 26,745 signatures, even though Arkansas laws similar to the new law had been struck down in 1996 and again in 2006.