Nonprofit Speech 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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Wisconsin Right to Life Case in Chicago Tribune

Jan 13, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Chicago Tribune story about Wisconsin Right to Life case.

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Grasley Looking Towards More Reforms

Jan 13, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From BNA: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said Jan. 12 he will propose new reforms for charitable and tax-exempt organizations later in 2006 beyond those in a pending tax reconciliation bill (S. 2020). However, reform likely will not be accomplished in a single package as once envisioned, Grassley said. Progress on charitable sector reforms, which his committee has been examining in recent years, probably will be a "piecemeal" approach of correcting perceived problems as opposed to one "gigantic" bill, Grassley told Iowa reporters via teleconference.

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McCellan Says Bush Wants to Regulate 527s but Also More Enforcement

Jan 12, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From a January 9 Press Briefing: Q: I understand the President recognizes this was Congressman DeLay's decision. But, again, as essentially the head of the Republican Party, is he concerned about the Abramoff scandal creating a kind of culture of corruption that is hitting, at this point, mostly Republicans? In that vein, does he think DeLay stepping down is a good thing for the Republican Party to take the lead in trying to clean this up?

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GOP Considers Ban on Privately Funded Travel

Jan 12, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Check out this New York Times article on the possible banning of privately funded travel. This could have impacts for nonprofits, which we discuss more extensively in our Watcher article on the new lobby reform bills before Congress.

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New Article on Impact of BCRA

Jan 12, 2006 by Guest Blogger

New article by Michael Munger - Unintended Consequences 1, Good Intentions 0

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Online Information on Lobbying, Ethics Reform Bills in Congress

Jan 11, 2006 by Kay Guinane

Bob Bauer's blog (More Soft Money HardLaw) has a very useful resource page with links to the pending lobby and ethics reform bills in Congress, and related Congressional floor statements and press releases. To access this resource page click here

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Abramoff Plea Brings New Lobby Reform Bills

With the recent plea bargain made by high-powered lobbyist Jack Abramoff, federal lobbying reform bills have gained momentum in Congress, with Democrats and Republicans vying to lead the pack and shake the "Abramoff taint" in time for re-election.

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More Government Spying on Nonprofits Revealed

New documents released to the press in December 2005 show federal agencies have been infiltrating and conducting surveillance on a wide range of nonprofits, in what appears to be a policy of treating lawful dissent as an act of terrorism. An NBC story revealed that the Pentagon has used a program meant to protect U.S. military installations, in order to spy on peace and other groups. In addition, FBI files released as part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in December 2005 show investigations of groups concerned with everything from poverty relief to the environment.

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IRS Clears Florida Church of Partisan Activity Accusation

An IRS investigation of a Florida church has found there was no partisan political activity when candidates attended and appeared at services during the 2004 election season. In late Dec. 2005 the IRS told Guy Lewis, the attorney for Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, that the case would be closed and resolved favorably for the church.

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FEC: No Exceptions for Charities to Electioneering Communications Rule

On December 21, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted to drop exemptions for 501(c)(3) nonprofits to Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) rules that restrict electioneering communications. The new rule eliminates exemptions for television, radio and cable advertisements that mention a federal candidate 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a general election paid for by charities and religious organizations, as well as "public service announcements," (PSAs) which are aired for free.

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