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...

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

Over 50 Million Spent on Electioneering Communications Since Sept. 1

Oct 16, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that since the beginning of Sept. over $50 million has been spent on electioneering communications in the campaign for the presidency and Congress. Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules require organizations sponsoring ads that mention a federal candidate in the final 60 days before the election to file reports with the commission. According to the BNA report, 90 percent of the money is going for radio and television ads in House and Senate races, and 10 percent is for ads focused on the presidential campaign.

read in full

Judge Rules Michigan Voter Purging Program Illegal

Oct 16, 2008 by Lateefah Williams*

A Judge recently ruled that a Michigan program that requires clerks to purge voters whose voter cards are returned as undeliverable violates federal law. The National Voter Registration Act allows voters to remain on the election roles for two cycles after the voter registration cards are returned as undeliverable. According to an ACLU press release, the Judge ordered the state of Michigan to "immediately discontinue their practice of canceling or rejecting a voter's registration based upon the return of the voter's original voter identification card as undeliverable."

read in full

Democracy 21 Files FEC Complaint Against Two Groups

Oct 15, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

Democracy 21 filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) calling for an investigation into two groups, American Issues Project (AIP) and American Leadership Project (ALP), charging that the groups have violated campaign finance laws.

read in full

FEC May Approve VoterVoter.com

Oct 14, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

In April, we reported about a new website called VoterVoter.com. According to BNA Money and Politics ($$), the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is likely to support the VoterVoter.com proposal that would allow individuals to pay directly for television ads supporting a candidate while avoiding FEC limits on campaign contributions. During an open meeting FEC commissioners indicated some approval for the advisory opinion (AO 2008-10) for the VoterVoter.com request, but a final vote was put off.

read in full

New Fact Sheet for 501(c)(3) Groups On Proper Contact With Campaigns

Oct 8, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Alliance for Justice has released a new fact sheet for 501(c)(3) organizations on how to interact with political campaigns and parties. To read Permissible Nonpartisan 501(c)(3) and Partisan Campaign Contact on Voter Engagement/Protection Efforts, click here. The fact sheet is focused on voter protection issues, and when 501(c)(3) voter-protection groups can talk with political candidates or parties.

read in full

Ex-Offender Voter Rights Confuse Alabama Officials

Oct 7, 2008 by Lateefah Williams*

If you are an ex-offender seeking to vote in Alabama, your voter rights may hinge on which voter list the Alabama Board of Registrars uses to determine your eligibility. Alabama officials have given the registrars conflicting lists regarding which felony convictions prevent individuals from voting. Alabama law prohibits individuals convicted of felonies of "moral turpitude" from voting, unless their rights are restored. The problem is that the term "moral turpitude" has not been defined by Alabama statute or case law.

read in full

Telecom Surveillance to Receive Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies that cooperated with the National Security Agency's (NSA) warrantless surveillance program, utilizing power granted in the FISA Amendments Act of 2008.

read in full

Pastors Challenge Church Electioneering Ban

On Sept. 28, 33 pastors around the nation participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday, an initiative designed to challenge a 1954 amendment to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that prohibits religious organizations and charities from supporting or opposing candidates for political office. The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) released a list of the pastors who participated in hopes that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will investigate the churches. The action generated controversy, with Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) filing complaints against seven of the participating congregations.

read in full

New 501(c)(4) Group Files A Familiar Lawsuit

Oct 6, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

A new 501(c)(4) group called the Committee for Truth in Politics Inc. (CTP) announced it has filed a lawsuit challenging Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules. CTP has been sponsoring television ads in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina criticizing Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) for his position on abortion related legislation. This lawsuit is similar to others filed recently by the group's lead attorney James Bopp challenging FEC rules that could restrict funding or require disclosure of those funding similar ads.

read in full

Pulpit Freedom Sunday: A Misguided Attempt to Politicize Religious Organizations

On Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008, 33 pastors engaged in partisan electioneering from the pulpit as part of Pulpit Freedom Sunday, an initiative launched by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a conservative legal alliance. ADF wants to challenge the constitutionality of the ban on partisan electioneering by religious and charitable organizations exempt under Sec. 501(c)(3) of the tax code. Violation of this rule can result in loss of tax-exempt status. This ill-advised effort threatens the nonpartisan nature of the nonprofit sector. It would give religious organizations rights non-religious organizations do not have, create an indirect taxpayer subsidy for partisan sermons, and open new conduits for inserting soft money into election outcomes.

read in full