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The Senate lines up to see across to the House of Representatives as the Legislature adjourns in March.

(Anna Reed/Statesman-Journal via AP)

SALEM - Legislation being introduced Monday to the Oregon House of Representatives would keep Donald Trump off the state's 2020 ballot unless he releases his tax returns.

The bill -- sponsored by the Democrat-majority House Rules Committee, which is chaired by House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, D-Portland -- would require presidential candidates appearing on Oregon's ballot or voters' pamphlet to provide the Secretary of State with copies of their federal income tax returns for the previous five years.

It's similar to proposals circulating in other solid-blue states. California, New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine and New Mexico all have had comparable bills introduced in their legislatures.

Under Oregon's bill, presidential candidates would also have to provide written consent that their income tax returns can be made public through the secretary of state's website. The bill also applies to vice presidential candidates.

Electoral College electors would also be required to sign a pledge that they will not cast their votes for presidential and vice presidential candidates who haven't complied with Oregon's tax return disclosure law.

The bill comes after Donald Trump declined to release his tax returns while a candidate, citing an ongoing federal audit. Trump had said he would release his returns once the audit finished, but the president's advisers have said Trump may not disclose his tax information even after the audit concludes.

Tax documents leaked to The New York Times have shown that Trump likely avoided paying millions of dollars in taxes by trading debt relief for "partnership equity" and by posting a $900 million loss a few years later. Release of Trump's tax returns may offer greater insight into the president's business empire and global financial network -- including debts owed by the president or use of tax avoidance strategies.

Oregon's bill, HB 2909, has not yet been scheduled for a public hearing. It was first introduced in committee last week. Chris Pair, a spokesman for Gov. Kate Brown, declined to comment when asked for the governor's position on the bill, saying Brown "rarely" indicates her support or opposition of a bill before it advances through the Legislature.

No lawmaker has had to attach their name to the proposal, since it was introduced as a committee bill. When asked on the House floor if he knew who came up with the bill, House Republican Leader Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, pointing to Williamson -- the majority leader -- said, "I don't know who introduced it. She does."

Williamson was not available for comment. Rep. Margaret Doherty, D-Tigard, said in a statement that she is working on a similar bill, and that "voters deserve to be fully informed about the individuals running for the highest office in the country."

House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, told reporters Monday that she hadn't read the bill, but spoke favorably about it on principle. "I think if you're going to be the leader of the free world we should see your tax returns," she said. "That seems reasonable."

Why not require all candidates -- not just president and vice president -- to disclose their tax returns? Kotek said there's no particular reason, but added that most candidates for elected office in Oregon have to file statements of economic interest, which are publicly available and show how the candidate makes money and properties they own.

Another Oregonian politician has also filed legislation requiring presidents tell all about their taxes. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced legislation to Congress last month that would make sitting presidents release three years' worth of federal income tax returns to the Office of Government Ethics.

Major-party nominees would also have to give their returns to the Federal Election Commission. If candidates don't comply, Wyden's bill would order the Treasury to release the tax returns anyways. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Most major-party political candidates vying for governorships or the presidency release their returns, but the disclosure is largely a tradition -- not law. Trump is the first presidential candidate not to let the public see his tax returns since 1976. During last year's Oregon gubernatorial race, Kate Brown and Bud Pierce both released their returns, along with their spouses'.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

gfriedman@oregonian.com; 503-221-8209