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Bill Would Require Presidential Candidates To Release Tax Returns

Assemblyman John McKeon
Phil Gregory

An Assembly committee will consider legislation on Monday that would require candidates for President to disclose their federal income tax returns to get on New Jersey's ballot.

Donald Trump refused to release his tax returns during the Presidential campaign.

Assemblyman John McKeon says his bill is intended to make sure that doesn't happen in the future.

"I think it's very important from a transparency perspective for the voters to have that information and if our society norms aren't going to force the issue, then we need to do so as a matter of law."

Rutgers law school professor Ronald Chen says it's unlikely the courts would find that a state has the power to impose additional requirements on candidates for federal office.

"It's is just a matter of federal supremacy that states cannot have individualized requirements to run for President. That's set up in the U.S. Constitution."

Chen says Congress might be able to impose that requirement, but not state legislatures.