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Michigan Bill Would Force Presidential Candidates To Release Tax Returns

DETROIT (WWJ) - A state senator has introduced a bill that would require all candidates for President and Vice President of the United States to release their tax returns in order to get on the ballot in Michigan.

This comes as President Donald Trump, who during his campaign said he would release his tax returns when an audit was complete, has declined so far to do so.

"The citizens of Michigan and the American people deserve to know what potential conflicts of interest a presidential candidate and their running mate have, and these potential conflicts can be made clear by turning this federal precedent into state law," said Sen. Steve Bieda (D-Warren), in a statement Tuesday. "The Office of the President is not a private business, it is an office of public service."

Senate Bill 216, which has been referred to the Committer on Elections and Government Reform for consideration, would require all candidates submit their five most recent years of federal and state income tax returns to the state.

The Michigan Secretary of State would handle the information and make it available online 30 days prior to the election. The bill would only apply to future elections, Bieda said.

This session Sen. Bieda has also introduced Senate Bill 64 requiring financial disclosure for state and local elected officials.

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