On May 31, the California Senate passed SB 149 on a party-line vote, 27-13. It requires presidential primary candidates to reveal five years of tax returns. A Republican Senator presented an amendment that would have also required candidates to show their birth certificates, but it was defeated. The bill now goes to the Assembly.
On June 1, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 25. It repeals the straight-ticket device. Now, the only states that still have them are Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Utah; and whether Michigan continues to have the device depends on the federal courts. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
Chia-Chi Teng, a professor at Brigham Young University, desires to seek the Republican nomination for U.S. House, in the upcoming special election. He is temporarily out of the country, and is in China. He attempted to file but was thwarted by a Utah law that requires candidates to file in-person at the elections office. See this story.
It is possible Utah is the only state that requires candidates to file in person. A few years ago the Utah law was relaxed to excuse presidential candidates from appearing in person. The lawsuit has a hearing in state court on June 12.
Candidates are in the process of filing to seek a party nomination in the November 2017 special U.S. House election in Utah. Here is a list of such candidates. Two candidates filed, saying they want the Independent American nomination: Aaron Heineman and Jason Christensen. If they both have substantial support at the party’s nominating convention, the government will hold a primary for the Independent American Party to choose between them. It is believed this would be the first time this party will have had a primary.
On May 28, the Texas legislature passed SB 5, which eases the existing Texas law requiring voters at the polls to show government photo-ID. The bill allows people who don’t have such ID to vote anyway. However they must sign a statement explaining that they don’t have such ID, and if they are found to have not told the truth, are subject to serious criminal penalties.
