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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

more news

New Report Makes Recommendations to Improve Communications with Congress

Dec 16, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) has released a report Communicating with Congress: Recommendations for Improving the Democratic Dialogue. In June CMF released a draft version of this report and requested that interested stakeholders review the recommendations and submit comments. The report provides some recommendations to every stakeholder, including citizens, Members of Congress, advocacy groups, and congressional offices.

read in full

Groups Urge Changes to Strengthen House Ethics Rules

Dec 16, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

In letters sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), the Campaign Legal Center and other groups strongly urged that changes are made to House ethics rules in regards to when members negotiate for a new job. The organizations included the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG.

read in full

The Founding Fathers Reform Lobbying

Dec 16, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

Zephyr Teachout, a Duke Law professor, has an interesting article on lobbying reform in Democracy, A Journal of Ideas (free registration required) titled A Restructuring of Power and Information.

read in full

IRS to Look At 501(c)(4) Groups

Dec 12, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

According to BNA Money and Politics ($$), "new lawsuits could prompt the Court to reconsider key principles of [campaign finance] regulation, officials and private attorneys said at the annual conference of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL)." This statement references the Citizens United case that is expected to be argued in front of the Supreme Court this spring. The case challenges Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules requiring disclosure of those paying for electioneering communications.

read in full

Supporting Advocacy; an Effective Strategy to Affect Policy

Dec 8, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

According to a press release from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), "foundations should turn to the underutilized strategy of supporting advocacy, organizing and civic engagement to be more effective at addressing social issues, recession or no recession." A new report from NCRP "Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities," found that "for every dollar invested in the 14 advocacy and organizing groups studied, New Mexico's residents reaped more than $157 in benefits."

read in full

IRS Releases 2009 Work Plan

Dec 3, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Exempt Organizations division has issued its 2009 work plan, detailing its plans for the upcoming year including a long term study of fund raising and spending by charitable organizations. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy ($$), "Lois G. Lerner, director of the exempt-organization division of the IRS, told reporters that it is especially important to monitor the nonprofit world during the current economic downturn as demand for charitable services rises and donations fall."

read in full

FEC Issues Advisory Opinion; One NRLC Ad amounts to Electioneering

Nov 25, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

A month ago the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) failed to pass either draft advisory opinions regarding two proposed radio ads sponsored by the National Right to Life Committee Inc. (NRLC) considering whether or not they contained "express advocacy." Yesterday (Nov. 24) the FEC issued an advisory opinion stating; "The Commission concludes that the NRLC may use its general treasury funds to finance the broadcast of the first advertisement. The Commission could not approve a response by the required four affirmative votes regarding the NRLC's second advertisement."

read in full

Is Blogging Lobbying?

Nov 24, 2008 by Lateefah Williams*

Washington State Regulators are contemplating whether online political activism constitutes lobbying. Unlike journalists, lobbyists are legally required to register with the state, and submit detailed financial reports and the particular issues they are involved with. According to the Associated Press, the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) "was asked by some lobbyists whether calls to action made over the Internet fell under any lobbying regulations, and the agency began probing the topic." Eventually the topic shifted to blogging.

read in full

Editorial Calls for Total Transparency by Lobbyists

Nov 20, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

An editorial in the Washington Times, Lobbyists are good people, too advocates that transparency is the only way to fight against the stigma surrounding lobbyists. As the title suggests, lobbyists are not all corruptive and many may lobby on behalf of nonprofits, for example. "Shocking news in this season of lobbyist bashing - many lobbyists not only are good people but also represent real people." The author proposes transparency.

read in full

Citizens United Case Goes to Supreme Court

Nov 18, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in the Citizens United case at the end of February. The court will review the Jan. decision of a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Citizens United v. FEC. The panel in Jan. rejected Citizens United's motion for a preliminary injunction, and in July, the court granted the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) motion for summary judgment on the merits.

read in full