A press spokesman for Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal said Monday the Republican governor supports a proposed “birther” bill in Louisiana.
“It’s not part of our package, but if the legislature passes it we’ll sign it,” Mr. Jindal’s press secretary Kyle Plotkin told the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
The proposed bill is the latest attempt to force President Obama to present a copy of his birth certificate. House Bill 561 was filed last week by two Republican lawmakers.
Mr. Jindal’s support for the measure follows in the wake of a similar measure passed in the Arizona legislature last week. On Monday, Arizona governor Jan Brewer vetoed the measure, saying it was a “distraction.”
Should Mr. Jindal sign the measure into law, it will make Louisiana the first state to pass such a measure. Under the Louisiana proposal federal candidates who want to appear on Louisiana ballots will have to file an affidavit attesting to their citizenship. The requirement also would apply to candidates for U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives.
The so-called “birther” movement has gained traction in recent weeks with Donald Trump questioning the validity of President Obama’s birth certificate.
