Tax disclosure a ‘joke’

State Sen. Michael J. Barrett (DLexington) is a lawyer by education and training and a lawmaker by profession. And so it is rather remarkable that he would sponsor legislation that possibly — in fact, probably — doesn’t meet the constitutional smell test.

Ah, but dislike of Donald Trump does strange things to people. And so Barrett and a slew of other Democrats are pushing a bill that would forbid a presidential candidate from appearing on a primary or general election ballot in Massachusetts if he or she hasn’t released several years of federal tax returns to the public. The bill is set for a hearing today.

“It would be a joke if it wasn’t so serious,” lawyer and civil liberties advocate Harvey Silverglate told the Herald. “I’m no expert about filing tax returns, but I don’t understand how they could justify the constitutionality of that law. It’s an interference with federal elections.”

One needn’t be an expert to be unnerved by the legislative proposal, and a separate initiative petition that supporters are hoping to place on the 2018 ballot. (Attorney General Maura Healey is expected to rule today on whether that initiative meets legal muster.)

To be clear, we believe perhaps as strongly as Barrett does that presidential candidates should disclose their tax returns. Trump’s self-serving decision not to do so as a candidate has only grown in significance since he became president, as inquiries about his personal financial entanglements are stymied by lack of access to the returns.

But the Constitution is clear on the requirements to run for president — and there is no clause granting states the right to pile on more. Candidates should release their tax returns publicly, yes, but they shouldn’t be compelled by the government, particularly a

government, to do so. This effort is much ado about politics, and is a waste of time, energy and public resources that could be much better spent.