California Lawmakers Say Tax Returns Are Mandatory for Candidates

Gov. Gavin Newsom must decide whether presidential and gubernatorial candidates who don’t release their tax returns can appear on the California primary ballot.

The state Senate sent a bill to Newsom’s desk July 11 with a 29-10 vote requiring that the candidates release their returns from the previous five years to the Secretary of State, who would post redacted versions on the office’s website.

If the Democratic governor signs it, he would break from his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who vetoed a similar bill in 2018 because he said it could be unconstitutional. Newsom’s office didn’t immediately respond to ...