the staff of the Ridgewood blog
River Vale NJ , Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi :
“Thursday the New Jersey Senate is voted on a bill that would prohibit President Donald Trump from being placed on the New Jersey Ballot unless he releases a copy of his tax returns. While we can debate whether a Presidential candidate should release his tax returns, the law is clear that the New Jersey proposed legislation would be UNCONSTITUTIONAL. “
“On March 30, 2017, I received a legal opinion from the non partisan Office of Legislative Services regarding this exact debate. I asked whether the State of New Jersey could impose conditions to be placed on the ballot solely of the Presidential candidate and not all other candidates as well. The ANSWER WAS NO. I therefore ask my colleagues why are we spending tax payer monies on a lawsuit that we have already been told by our own legal counsel WE WILL LOSE? If you want the President’s tax returns as a condition precedent to appearing on a NJ Ballot you better be willing to include in the legislation showing your own, Governor Murphy’s as well as Senators Menendez, Cory Booker’s and all of your Congressional candidates too. “
“The opinion provided to me states as follows: “treating voters or candidates for federal office in an inconsistent manner, without sufficient justification, violates the provisions of the First and Fourteenth Amendment. Therefore, any ballot access requirement implement by the State Legislature must treat all candidates for the office equally to have a greater likelihood of surviving a constitutional challenge….In conclusion, it is the opinion of Legislative Counsel that the Qualification Clauses in Articles I and II of the United States Constitution and the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution constrain the Legislature’s power to restrict candidates for federal elective office from appearing on the ballot.”
Trump could contend that he was ‘undocumented ‘ and would be embraced by the libs. Don’t forget that Romney released his returns and Harry Reid lied and said he hadn’t paid taxes in 10 years.
We are such morons.
Trenton Democrats continually waste OUR TAX DOLLARS on this kind of garbage! Always playing dirty politics instead of working to lower our taxes, cut spending and implement the services they are suppose to be doing for the citizens of NJ!!
How about using Our Tax Dollars on actually maintaining our roads, bridges & seeing to it that our Governor, Mayors etc are “ upholding the rule of law..” such as immigration laws. They should be cutting funding given to illegals living in sanctuary cities in NJ at tax payers expense!! Overturning Gov’s Free Community college forcillegsls causing s greater burden on many families that can’t afford to send their own children to those same colleges!!
No instead Trenton Democrats choose to waste time & OUR money making a political blunder that will cost We the Taxpayers legal fees, court cases and frankly more embarassment then they all do already!!!
#GoodByeNJ