RELEASING TAX RETURNS: Presidential candidates — including President Trump if he runs for reelection — would have to publicly release their federal income tax returns to be on the ballot in Maryland, under a bill that received an initial nod from the state Senate on Thursday. The preliminary approval followed a long debate that largely centered around the 45th president, Ovetta Wiggins of the Post reports.
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Senators gave the measure preliminary approval Thursday. The bill could receive final Senate approval next week, after which it would go to the House, Brian Witte of the AP reports.
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The Democratic majority in the Maryland Senate moved forward a bill on Thursday that would require presidential candidates to release their federal income tax returns to the Maryland State Board of Elections before a general election. The elections board would, in turn, make the returns public and online
SCHOOL SECURITY DUSTUP: Maryland Democrats slammed Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday for a lack of urgency in addressing what they called a school security “crisis,” Bruce DePuyt of Maryland Matters reports. They said his decision to tie new schools safety funding to an administration proposal dealing with casino revenues represented a failure of leadership, given that legislative leaders have derided Hogan’s “lockbox” proposal as being a pale copy of their own. “It’s beyond disappointing,” said Sen. Bill Ferguson of Baltimore City.