The Los Angeles Times has this editorial, opposing two California bills to restrict ballot access for presidential primaries. Most of the editorial is concerned with SB 27, to force presidential primary candidates to release their tax returns. The editorial also opposes SB 505, and notes that Peace & Freedom Party representative C. T. Weber testified that it might eliminate all choices on the Peace & Freedom primary ballot.
According to this newspaper story, the Iowa bills to restrict ballot access will not pass this year. They include SF 575, which increased petition requirements; HF 335, to move the petition deadlines from August to June; and HF 139, to ban “sore losers.”
HR 51, to admit the District of Columbia as a state, has 201 co-sponsors. But HR 1965, to admit Puerto Rico as a state, only has one co-sponsor.
On April 3, Congressman Richard E. Neal, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, asked the IRS Commissioner to furnish copies of President Trump’s last six years of income tax returns. The letter also requests copies of various entities controlled by President Trump. The letter asks that the information be provided by April 10.
The request cites the Internal Revenue Code, section 6103(f), which says in part, “Upon written request from the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives…the Secretary shall furnish such committee with any returns or return information specified in such request.” Thanks to PoliticalWire for this news.
California held a special election for State Senate, District One, on March 26. No one got a majority, so there will be a runoff in June between two Republicans.
This letter to the editor of the Siskiyou Daily News explains that a former Republican, Steve Baird, changed his registration to Democratic and entered the race. It appears that he was not a sincere candidate, because he espoused policies such as permitting legal abortion on anyone under the age of 25 years. It also appears that if he had not been on the March 26 ballot, the only other Democrat, who was endorsed by her party, would have placed in the top two and qualified for the runoff ballot.
Here are the unofficial election returns from the March 26 election.
