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Illinois bill would require President Trump release tax returns to gain 2020 ballot access

Kristin Lam
USA TODAY

Illinois lawmakers have moved forward a bill that would require presidential candidates — including Donald Trump — to release their tax returns to appear on the state's 2020 ballot.

The state senate passed legislation on Thursday requiring people running for president or vice president to release five years of their most recent tax returns to the Illinois secretary of state.

While the governor has not indicated his support for the bill, Chicago radio station WBEZ reported, it now moves to the House.  

If the bill is enacted, candidates' tax returns would be viewable on the secretary of state's website. Personal information would be removed. 

"If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't worry about anything," said Democratic state Sen. Tony Munoz on the floor, Capitol News Illinois reported. 

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The measure would not require candidates for Congress or statewide elected officials to release their returns. Munoz, who sponsored the bill, said he is open to including other candidates as the House debates the bill, according to Capitol News. 

Besides Illinois, 17 other states by 2017 had introduced bills aimed at requiring presidential candidates to release tax returns, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures

Republican state Sen. Dale Righter opposed the measure, Capitol News reported, citing two Supreme Court cases ruling that states cannot alter ballot qualifications described in the U.S. Constitution. The court, in 1983's Anderson v. Celebrezze decision, said Ohio's early filing deadline for president was unconstitutional. In 1968, Ohio state presidential ballot laws also violated the Fourteenth Amendment, according to the Williams v. Rhodes decision. 

“This is, quite frankly, with all due respect to the sponsor, an embarrassing waste of the Senate’s time,” said Righter, according to WBEZ.

Trump has repeatedly refused to make his tax returns public, most recently refusing a request from congressional Democrats on Wednesday.

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