Arizona Legislature Passes 'Birther' Bill

While the bill's author, Republican State Representative Carl Seel, admits that the issue at the heart of the ''birther-bill'' came out as a result of allegations that President Obama was not born in the US, the bill is not about Obama. Rather, he says, it is about upholding the honor of the election process. According to the US Constitution, presidential candidates must be ''natural-born'' US citizens of at least 35 years of age, with at least 14 years of US residency.

If signed into law, the state would become the first to pass legislation requiring such proof from candidates. Under Bill 217, a long-form birth certificate or at least two of the following documents must be provided by all presidential candidates: baptismal certificate, circumcision record, hospital birth files, and postpartum medical records. Furthermore, candidates would be required to provide affidavits affirming citizenship and sworn statements confirming 14 years of residency. If a candidate fails to provide the necessary documents, or if the secretary of state determines that the documents are deficient in any way, the candidate's name will not appear on Arizona's ballot.

Opponents claim that the proposal is the result of efforts to keep Obama's name off of the state ballot. Amongst others, potential presidential candidate, Donald Trump has recently become extremely vocal in his assertions regarding Obama's citizenship.

In an effort to put an end to the questions surrounding Obama's citizenship, his 2008 campaign provided a ''certificate of live birth.'' Governor Neil Abercrombie, of Hawaii, and former Governor Linda Lingle, have both confirmed that Obama was indeed born in Hawaii but the matter continues to resurface. Many critics allege that he was born in Kenya, his father's home country. Seel notes that Obama would need to provide further documentation in order to meet the requirements of Bill 217. However, he notes that the bill applies to elections statewide and does not target only presidential candidates.

Similar bills have been unsuccessfully brought forth in Connecticut, Maine, and Montana but according to Jennie Browser, a senior fellow with the National Conference of State Legislatures, 14 other states are now looking into such legislature.