[EL] Calif. Constitution and the tax returns ballot bill

[Richard Winger]

Regardless of whether the California bill requiring presidential primary candidates to show their income tax returns violates the US Constitution, no one except me has commented on the election law list about the California Constitution.
It says the Secretary of State shall place "recognized" candidates for a party nomination on a presidential primary ballot.  Article II, sec. 5(c).  It seems to me that it is obvious that this dooms Senate Bill 27.  No one can argue that President Trump is not a "recognized" presidential candidate for the Republican nomination.
In 1992, a Sacramento Superior Court told March Fong Eu, then-Secretary of State, to put Lyndon LaRouche on the Dem presidential primary ballot.  The opinion defined "recognized" to include LaRouche because he was on the Dem presidential primary ballot of some other states, had been on the Dem presidential primary ballot in California in 1988, and had raised a fair amount of money.

Richard Winger 415-922-9779 PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147
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