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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Down Fall of Electioneering Communications Ban?

Mar 21, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Bob Bauer in his moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com blog points out that the lawyer representing Wisconsin Right To Life (WRTL) has requested an extended brief for a specific reason. Done so in light of the possibility that the "case might bring the electioneering communication prohibitions to constitutional ruin." Bauer divulges that the court's resolve to concentrate on the facts and circumstances of an ad is an important problem.

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"Look closely at the grassroots"

Mar 21, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

In case anyone is perplexed about the details surrounding the complex debate on grassroots lobbying disclosure, be sure to read this op-ed in The Hill written by OMB Watch Executive Director Gary Bass. The piece points out one fact often missed by opponents, that unions and charities have both disclosed their grassroots activity for years without any chilling effect. "A better way to approach grassroots lobbying disclosure is to require all actors who meet defined thresholds to disclose their grassroots lobbying activity. This can be done without burdening small groups."

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House Proposal for Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure Due Soon

While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) office is still working on the details of grassroots lobbying disclosure as part of a package of Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) reforms, both supporters and opponents have continued to debate the merits of the idea.

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Committee Votes Down Faith-Based Hiring Amendment to Head Start Bill

On March 14, the House Education and Labor Committee approved the Improving Head Start Act of 2007 (H.R.1429) after defeating an amendment that would have allowed faith-based organizations to hire teachers for the Head Start program based on religion. Attempts to insert such language into Head Start were unsuccessful in the past. This is the first time the issue has come up in the 110th Congress. The controversial provision was defeated 26-19 on a party line vote, and the overall bill passed 42-1.

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Appeals Court Upholds USAID Pledge Requirement for HIV/AIDS Grantees

On Feb. 27, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia overturned a lower court ruling that voided a USAID requirement that grantees under an HIV/AIDS program adopt certain policies on prostitution. The ruling in DKT International v. USAID is the first decision in two cases in separate federal appeals courts that involve the same issue. DKT expects to seek a re-hearing before the entire Circuit Court. An appeal from another lower court ruling that overturned the same requirement is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York.

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Senate Committee Considers Electronic Filing

Mar 15, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Yesterday the Senate Rules and Administration Committee held a hearing on S.223, the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act. As reported in BNA Money and Politics ($$), Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) plans to have the committee approve S.223 "in the coming weeks." The bill would require Senate candidates to file campaign finance reports electronically. Ranking Member Senator Bob Bennett (R-ID) may try to amend the bill, which some say might weaken the bill's chances of passing.

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Faith-Based Hiring Amendment in Head Start Reauthorization Bill

Mar 15, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Yesterday the House Education and Labor Committee approved Head Start reauthorization legislation, HR1429. Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuno (R-PR) offered an amendment that would have allowed faith-based organizations to hire teachers on the basis of religion. According to CQ, ($$) this issue was the main point of contention during the five hour long markup hearing. Supporters of the amendment said the religious hiring would help increase faith-based groups participation in the Head Start program. This same proposal was included in last year's Head Start reauthorization bill.

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Showdown on Grassroots Lobbying: The Electioneering Communications Rule

2007 will hopefully see the sun set on a contentious and drawn out battle over the electioneering communications rule as applied to nonprofits. On April 25, 2007 the Supreme Court hears oral argument in Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL). The outcome of this case will determine if grassroots lobbying broadcasts by nonprofits can be exempted from the current restrictive federal rules.

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Changes to the Combined Federal Campaign Charity Drive

Mar 12, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Office of Personnel Management, which administers the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity drive in government offices, has decided to drop a requirement that charities spend no more than 25 percent of their total revenue on administrative and fund-raising expenses. Charities that exceeded the cap were required to give the OPM a reason, which the agency said was an administrative burden. Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter to President Bush expressing his concern about this rule change.

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Rules Hearing To Consider Senate Electronic Filing

Mar 9, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

On March 14, the Senate Rules and Administration Committee will hold a hearing on S.223, the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act to require Senate candidates to file election reports electronically. Currently House candidates, presidential candidates, party committees, and political action committees are required to do so, while Senate candidates are exempt. BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is fully in favor of the measure, and FEC Staff Director Patrina Clark is set to testify at the hearing.

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