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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Charities File Friend of Court Brief Supporting Grassroots Lobbying Rights

A group of 17 charities filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case Wisconsin Right to Life v. Federal Election Commission on March 23, urging the Court to protect the right of charities to broadcast grassroots educational and lobbying communications. Multiple amicus briefs have been filed on both sides of the case, which challenges the constitutionality of the "electioneering communications" rule in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). The rule bans broadcasts that refer to federal candidates and are funded by corporations, including charities, 60 days before a general election and 30 days before a primary. The Court will hold oral argument on April 25, and a decision is expected in the summer or early fall, in time to clarify the law before the 2008 elections.

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Analyzing the Briefs

Mar 30, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Bob Bauer in his blog, moresoftmoneyhardlaw, plans on commenting on the amicus briefs filed in the Wisconsin Right to Life case. The first one analyzes the brief filed on behalf of Norm Ornstein, Thomas Mann, Anthony Corrado and the Committee on Economic Development. Be sure to check back for comments on the numerous other amicus briefs.

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Nonprofit Leaders Disappointed in Poor Oversight of Federal Grants

Mar 30, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

This article out of Fairbanks Alaska concerns a lack of federal oversight of money nonprofits obtain through earmarks. "Some [who work in nonprofits] add, though, that federal program officers don't, or can't, always watch closely. In addition, if the federal agency isn't involved in selecting the grantee, as occurs with earmarked funds, fundamental problems may escape the agency's notice, they say." A nonprofit in Fairbanks, LOVE Social Services, about $450,000 of a $2.9 million that Sen.

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House Committee Passes GSE Reform Bill

Mar 30, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Yesterday the House Financial Services Committee passed H.R. 1427, the Federal Housing Reform Act of 2007. The bill will provide additional funding for affordable housing and change the oversight of the government sponsored enterprises (GSE) of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Last year efforts were made to greatly restrict the affordable housing trust fund, limiting the groups that could apply based on lobbying and GOTV activities. Fortunately these same attempts were not made this year and the bill passed committee yesterday is absent language of the sort.

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"Donors, Nonprofit Employees Support Lobbying Disclosures"

Mar 29, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Nonprofit Times highlighted the OMB Watch survey on grassroots lobbying disclosure. The article discusses the survey results and responses in some detail. For example, many who took the survey commented that disclosure would help distinguish "between genuine grassroots activism, which tends to be money-poor but people-rich, and 'Astroturf' lobbying, which tends to be money-rich."

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Democratic Leadership Council a 501(c)(4)?

Mar 28, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determined that the Democratic Leadership Council Inc. (DLC) which previously filed as a 501(c)(4) organization, was not eligible for tax exempt status. The group then filed a lawsuit to seek a reversal of the IRS determination. A hearing was scheduled for last September, but then canceled when lawyers for both parties agreed that the hearing was not necessary. But now the judge has changed his mind and according to BNA Money and Politics ($$) the judge has scheduled oral arguments for April 23.

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Senators: File Campaign Reports Electronically!

Mar 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Tomorrow the Senate Rules and Administration Committee will hold a markup hearing on S.223, the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act. As predicted, ranking member Bob Bennett (R-UT) wants to attach an amendment to the bill that would lift the caps on coordinating spending between party committees and individual campaigns. However, proponents including Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) are urging the passage of a clean bill with no amendments. The Campagin Finance Institute is calling it a "poison pill" that could destroy the bill's chances of being approved.

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Pension Protection Act And Changes for Exempt Organizations Tax Rules

Mar 23, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Internal Revenue Service has posted a web page describing the tax changes for exempt organizations because of the Pension Protection Act of 2006. There is a list of new reporting requirements along with the new forms that must be used. Information is provided on such provisions as donor-advised funds and certain charitable contribution requirements.

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Bill Would Extend IRA Giving Provision

Mar 23, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Senator Byron Dorgen (D-ND) and Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) have introduced companion legislation, the Public Good IRA Rollover Act (S.819 and HR1419). This would permanently extend a tax break passed as a part of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 that allows older Americans to donate money directly from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA). The provision passed last year would expire January 1, 2008. A recent article in Forbes discusses how there is seemingly large support for the measure from the charitable sector.

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Coalition of Nonprofits File Amicus Brief

Mar 22, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

OMB Watch organized a nonprofit coalition that filed a multi-party amicus brief on behalf of 17 charities (exempt under 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code). The brief argued that the electioneering communications restrictions deny charities the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, which is protected by the First Amendment.

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