A taxing presidential issue.

• Author: Diorio, Dan
• Position: TRENDS - Brief article

It wasn't unusual to think that legislatures would address some of the many election controversies that arose in 2016. From primaries and caucuses to cybersecurity and voter fraud, there is no shortage of election issues for lawmakers to consider this year. But one issue that perhaps wasn't expected has become a strong legislative trend in 2017.

As of April 1, legislators in 25 states had introduced bills to require prospective presidential candidates to disclose recent tax returns as a condition of being placed on the ballot. Across the states, the number of returns required ranges from as little as the most recent year to up to 10 years' worth of returns. Many require that the returns be redacted and posted publicly for inspection.

Nearly every bill has been introduced by Democrats, in reaction to President Donald Trump's refusal to release his tax returns as per the custom of previous presidential candidates.

Some of the bills address concerns over the constitutionality of such a...