Signed Tuesday, the “Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act,” or Senate Bill 27, will order any candidate running for president or governor in California to turn over their last five years of tax returns to the Secretary of State.
The White House is expected to challenge the new legislation in the courts; however, President Trump could also avoid the tax returns stipulation by simply skipping California’s primary altogether, as the state’s electoral college is not likely to cast votes in favor of the president regardless.
“Today we require tax returns, but what would be next?” Brown wrote in his veto message. “Five years of health records? A certified birth certificate? High school report cards? And will these requirements vary depending on which political party is in power?”