The Associated Press is reporting that if a bill that is under consideration in the Rhode Island Legislature becomes law President Trump might be denied ballot access if he runs for re-election in 2020.
AP/WPRI - The Rhode Island Senate has passed a bill that would require presidential and vice presidential candidates to file five years' worth of tax returns in order to appear on the state's ballots.
The Senate voted 33-3 to pass the measure. A House version has been held in a committee.
Senate spokesman Greg Pare says if the bill becomes law, President Donald Trump wouldn't appear on a future ballot unless he filed his returns.
Democratic Sen. Gayle Goldin, who sponsored the bill, did not explicitly mention Trump in vouching for the policy on the Senate floor. She did say that "this president" was the first since Richard Nixon to not voluntarily release his tax returns.
Goldin says the tax returns contain essential information about conflicts of interest that is not otherwise available to the public.
INDY REPUBLICAN did not think this would happen but we actually for once agree with a Rhode Island Democrat! This shocks us so much we can hardly finish our beer. But State Senator Gayle Goldin is absolutely right in insisting that presidential and vice presidential candidates disclose their tax returns.
If laws like this wind up passing in more states they could cause issues for Vice President Pence. As we have pointed out on this blog previously
here and
here Pence stated on his 2011 tax return that he and his wife Karen lived in Arlington, VA even though state law in Indiana requires him to have lived in Indiana for the five years preceding the 2012 election. So Pence should have been deemed ineligible to run for Governor in 2012, just like Evan Bayh should have been disqualified from running for Governor in 1988.
Other issues that Pence may or should at least face if he runs for VP again or for President involves his having cast an absentee ballot in this years primary from the Governors Mansion even though he is no longer Governor. Take a look at what old Mikey tweeted as he was leaving Indiana to become Trumps Biatch Vice President:
Needless to say Pence’s casting a ballot from the Governors Mansion elicited some interesting commentary. Here are some of our favorites:
Also our mailbag had some interesting things to say about Mike Pence’s squatting at the Governors Mansion:
“WTF? He is no longer Governor? Does he intend to reside with Holcomb? Is he filing his taxes, getting his mail over there too. Can Daniels still vote form the mansion too? Haha. The VP of the US can’t get an outhouse somewhere to vote from? Did Bush try to vote from the Texas governors mansion?”
“So does Mike Pence “return” to the govs mansion whenever he wants when he comes to Indiana...it’s a real good idea that you actually have ACCESS to the residence you are voting from.”
“He also said while he filed taxes from his DC residence address as he filed as a “resident” of fishers to enroll his daughter at HSE when he “lived” at the unreported free house that he can continue to vote in Columbus where he didn’t “live” bc of his intent and the fishers house was for the “convenience of his family” what a bunch of crap!”
Other opinions of Pence from our readers include the following:
How long would Pence survive in a Star Trek episode?
“About as long as it takes for ensign Johnson to be turned into a styrofoam cube after beaming down to the surface and making a half ass attempt at protecting the captain.”
Are critics off base to say that Mike Pence’s gene pool needs a filter?
“Yes. It needs enhancement..not filtering ..they’re missing chromosomes! He’s missing the dna which gives someone balls & a backbone...but also the chromosome that allows one to read, write and snap out of a blissful state of sleep”
For further information about Pence’s use of the Governors Mansion to vote in this years primary click
here and
here.
So you all next time. Have fun fellow Troublemakers!