Even as Donald Trump stonewalls multiple efforts by congressional lawmakers to reveal his tax returns, New York State lawmakers are taking steps to grant Congress access to Trump’s state tax returns.
State Senator Brad Hoylman has told the New York Times he has enough votes in the State Senate to pass his bill giving congressional committees the opportunity to obtain Trump's returns by requesting them through the New York Department of Taxation and Finance.
As the Times notes, Trump's returns in New York, which serves as the headquarters for his personal business, would include similar financial data to that of the federal returns he has refused to turn over to Congress. Sen. Hoylman says the goal of the bill lies in “assisting Congress in its oversight role.”
Democrats control the Empire State government, including both legislative chambers and the governorship. The State Assembly reportedly hasn't been quite as eager to take up the bill but is nonetheless expected to pass it if it clears the Senate.
Other bills aimed at obtaining Trump's taxes have failed to get traction due to privacy concerns. But Hoylman's measure was designed to allow disclosure only in a small number of instances—if they are formally queried by one of three key congressional committees (House Ways and Means, the Senate Finance Committee, or the Joint Committee on Taxation).