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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S. 1 Hits Snag Over Line-Item Veto

Jan 18, 2007 by Dana Chasin

S. 1 (text), the Senate ethics and lobbying bill (now in its second week on the floor), lies in a state of legislative limbo following the failure of a cloture vote, 51-46, late last night. Because S. 1 contains Senate rules changes, a two-thirds vote is required for cloture, rather than the usual 60 votes.

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Work on S.1 Continues

Jan 17, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

As work on S.1 continues on, Senators Lott and Bennett have offered changes to a Reid amendment that would allow nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations to pay for congressional travel if the trips are pre-approved by the Senate Ethics Committee. And as reported in BNA($$); "Another key cloture vote, expected to come Jan. 17, will be on a larger amendment offered by Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), as a substitute for the underlying reform bill.

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S. 1 UPDATE: A Byrd Rule for Earmarks?

Jan 16, 2007 by Adam Hughes*

Debate on S. 1 has resumed on the Senate floor, with votes today expected on:

a technical correction, to be offered by Sen. Durbin, to last week's DeMint amendment
the DeMint amendment itself, as corrected
a Reid amendment to require senators to pay charter rates to fly on private jets (Reid is said to be trying to address the issues of senators who have their own planes and those who live in rural states with limited air service)

All three items are expected to pass with overwhelming majorities.

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Myth v. Fact: The Impact of Federal Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure in S. 1

In a Dec. 30, 2006 letter to Public Citizen, American Target Advertising, Inc. explains its opposition to legislation that would require disclosure of big money grassroots lobbying campaigns on federal legislation (S.1 ). The letter gives some examples that misstate what the bill would do and are contrary to the stated intentions of the bill's sponsors. To reduce the confusion we have provided alternative answers to the hypothetical questions American Target Advertising (ATA) poses in its letter. Updated Jan. 18, 2007: More Myths and Facts

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Ethics Editorial

Jan 16, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Today's Washington Post has this editorial, "Ethical Progress" which commends the efforts in the Senate on the ethics and lobbying form bill so far. Yet, this piece notes that important amendments and provisions would strengthen the legislation.

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Wisconsin Right to Life Case Update

Jan 16, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

On Friday January 12, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and four members of Congress asked the Supreme Court to uphold the ban on the specific broadcast advertisements that Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL) prepared to air. Yesterday, in response WRTL appealed to the Supreme Court to consider the case and rule this Term. It will not be determined until this Friday if the Supreme Court will hear the case during this Term. Bob Bauer has a blog today relating this case with the Washington Education Association case.

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CREW Cannot Sue FEC Over Enforcement Complaint

Jan 16, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics (subscription required) reported that on January 12 a federal appeals court ruled that the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) did not have the needed legal standing to sue the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The FEC found that Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) improperly provided a contact list to the President Bush's re-election campaign. CREW then filed an enforcement complaint against the FEC, arguing that the list was worth more than the FEC considered.

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Opponents of Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure are Wrong about Impact on Nonprofits

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2007—Public statements by some opponents of a provision in S. 1, the Senate ethics and lobby reform bill that would bring transparency to big money grassroots lobbying campaigns, have misled many nonprofits into believing the proposal is an effort to silence criticism of Congress and a plot by liberals to keep conservative viewpoints from being heard.

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UPDATE: Reid to Support DeMint Amendment

Jan 12, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Within minutes of our blog below on the earmark disclosure debate in the Senate, word issues that Majority Leader Harry Reid will support the DeMint amendment in most particulars and move as early as next Tuesday to a cloture vote on S. 1, with a vote on the bill expected later in the week. Per a CQ article ($$) and a call with a senior Reid staffer, the new compromise amendment will:

require disclosure of earmarks on the internet 48 hours before a floor vote
define specific projects within federal agencies as earmarks

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Meehan and Shays Discuss Campaign and Lobbying Proposals

Jan 12, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Representatives Meehan and Shays announced at a press conference yesterday their plans to introduce legislation that both reduces the influence of lobbyists and tightens campaign finance laws. According to BNA Money and Politics, these comprehensive measure include reintroducing a measure to regulate 527 groups under campaign finance restrictions, replace the Federal Election Commission with an independent agency, the Federal Election Administration, and reform the presidential campaign public financing system.

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