VOTE:NO – Died In Committee
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Measures/Overview/SB594
Committee assigned to bill: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Committees/SRULES/Overview
This bill requires candidates for President or Vice President to disclose federal income tax returns for five years in order to appear on the general election ballot.
Personal Choice and Responsibility
The Fourteenth Amendment says that states shall lose congressional representation “when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States…is denied to any of the inhabitants of such State,…, and citizens of the United States…” By denying a national candidate from the ballot is the same as denying a voter a complete ballot and the right to vote. It also denies all US citizens a fair competition since no other state has this requirement.
Fiscal Responsibility
Presidential candidates already release a financial statement. This bill has consequences that can potentially take Oregon out of an election if top candidates don’t file their income tax return denying voters of their rights. It tells us nothing we did not already “know” about the candidate.
Limited Government
This is an overreach of state government into the realm of federal oversight qualifying national candidatess
It sure would be nice if our legislators would actually work on something that would help Oregonians instead of wasting time on %$#% like this.