The Maryland state senate just fired a broadside at President Trump in terms of his hopes for reelection… or so they think. Like many other blue states, the Old Line State’s upper chamber just approved a new bill which would require all presidential and vice presidential candidates to submit five years worth of tax returns in order to make it onto the ballot. Yes, it’s a grand day for democracy, isn’t it? But the measure in question didn’t even draw the support of all the Democrats in the chamber. (Baltimore Sun)
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As has been repeatedly documented in the past, the states are not allowed to impose any sort of restrictions to ballot access which would go beyond the qualifications for the office set forth in the Constitution. The Supreme Court has already weighed in on that question when term limits were being discussed. Exceptions are made for minor requirements such as gathering a specific number of signatures to prevent the ballot from becoming flooded with candidates with zero viability and the requirement for filing fees, but that’s about it.
Even California Governor Jerry Brown, generally regarded as the de facto king of the #RESIST movement, vetoed a bill like this last year, saying that the courts would have just overturned it anyway. And when you’ve lost Jerry Brown…
Maryland state senate passes bill aimed at sinking Trump’s reelection
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As has been repeatedly documented in the past, the states are not allowed to impose any sort of restrictions to ballot access which would go beyond the qualifications for the office set forth in the Constitution. The Supreme Court has already weighed in on that question when term limits were being discussed. Exceptions are made for minor requirements such as gathering a specific number of signatures to prevent the ballot from becoming flooded with candidates with zero viability and the requirement for filing fees, but that’s about it.
Even California Governor Jerry Brown, generally regarded as the de facto king of the #RESIST movement, vetoed a bill like this last year, saying that the courts would have just overturned it anyway. And when you’ve lost Jerry Brown…
Maryland state senate passes bill aimed at sinking Trump’s reelection