Nonprofit Lobbying Rights

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Trade Associations Protest Stealth Lobbying Disclosure Provision in New Ethics Law

Nov 7, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

An article in Roll Call ($$) addresses another element of carrying out the ethics and lobbying bill that was signed into law in September, the stealth lobbying coalition disclosure provision. Coalitions will have to disclose any organization that contributes at least $5,000 per quarter and actively participates in the lobbying campaign. Trade associations are not exempt from the rule, which means they could be forced to disclose their members. As a result, many trade associations are threatening to sue, arguing that forcing groups to name their members could violate First Amendment rights.

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Lobbying and Ethics Reforms Being Implemented

President Bush signed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA), S.1, on Sept. 14; revised House ethics rules took effect in March. The focus of these reforms has now shifted to implementation of the changes. Congressional officials have started developing the new forms and guidance that will be used by lobbyists to comply with the law. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has proposed new regulations to implement campaign contribution bundling disclosure requirements. From lobbyists to lawyers, nonprofits, and members of Congress themselves, all parties in Washington have begun preparing for these and other adjustments to their current practices.

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FEC To Issue Rule Within Weeks?

Oct 19, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) "hopes to approve 'within the next couple of weeks' a final regulation governing corporate and union funding of political advertising in line with the Supreme Court's decision in FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life Inc. (WRTL)." It has not been decided if the regulation would be considered at an FEC open meeting or circulated in writing for commissioners to approve. Unfortunately, given the early primary season approaching, this time constraint should not produce a regulation considered hastily.

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FEC Rulemaking Hearing Moves Forward

Oct 18, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) hearing on the electioneering communication rulemaking continued today. BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that yesterday attorney James Bopp told the commissioners "they should exempt grass roots lobbying ads from regulatory requirements, including disclosure of who finances the ads. He also called on the FEC to repeal its current rule defining express advocacy, which he said was vague and inconsistent with the Supreme Court's decision in WRTL."

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Advocating Against Corporate Censorship

Oct 18, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Considering its free speech week, this Washington Post opinion piece (Oct. 17) should be commended. The presidents of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Christian Coalition of America wrote in support of the fundamental, nonpartisan issue of free speech and the right of citizens to participate in the political process. They reference the events that occurred last month between Verizon wireless and NARAL Pro-Choice America's application for a text-messaging program that enables people to voluntarily sign up to receive updates by texting a five-digit code.

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OMB Watch in the News: FEC Electioneering Communications Hearing Begins

Oct 17, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Today the Federal Election Commission (FEC) began its two day public hearing on the proposed electioneering communications rulemaking. Commissioner Ellen Weintraub's opening statement notes the questions that will challenge the FEC, looking for answers from the witnesses. The FEC hopes to have a complete rule by the end of November.

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Celebrate Your Right to Free Speech!

Oct 16, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Did you know it is National Freedom of Speech Week? Nonprofits, schools, individuals, and communities nationwide should help celebrate the first amendment all week, and of course all year round.

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Activists Denied Entry into Canada

Oct 12, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the anti-war group Code Pink, and Ann Wright, a retired Army colonel, have been arrested in the U.S. while protesting the Iraq war which placed their names in an FBI-run database, the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). Canada relies on the database to screen visitors and when the two women visited the country in August, they were told they would have to apply for "criminal rehabilitation" and pay $200 if they wanted to visit again.

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Hearing Agenda Set for FEC Electioneering Rulemaking

Oct 12, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) will hold a hearing spanning two days and hear from 15 witnesses as part of a rulemaking to incorporate the Supreme Court's recent decision in Wisconsin Right to Life v. FEC. The FEC announced the agenda for the hearing yesterday. On Oct. 17-18 the FEC will consider the notice outlining a proposed rulemaking issued in August which put forth two alternatives to interpret the Court's decision. OMB Watch submitted comments, and for more information, see this article from the latest Watcher.

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Law Banning Lying About Political Candidates Violates Free Speech

Oct 11, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Last week the Washington State Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that a state law intended to punish political candidates for false advertising is an unconstitutional infringement on free speech. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported; "the majority said that under that ruling, only defamatory statements are not constitutionally protected speech, and that the new law did not require proof of the defamatory nature of the prohibited statements. Thus, the current law 'extends to protected political speech and strict scrutiny must apply.'"

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