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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WRTL Supreme Court Oral Argument Now Online!

Feb 3, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Feb. 17 status hearing has been set for Wisconsin Right to Life v. Federal Election Commission. A three-judge federal court will consider a challenge to political advertising restrictions under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act . WRTL requested expedited review, and the status hearing is being seen as a possible sign that the federal court will move quickly to reconsider the case. The case was remanded by the Supreme Court. (if you haven't been following, check out our last href="/article/articleview/3254/1/3?TopicID=">Watcher article.)

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Markup and Hearing Set on Government Reform

Feb 3, 2006 by Guest Blogger

On Government Reform bills, two Senate committees plan on a hearing and a markup in the upcoming weeks. The Senate Rules and Administration Committee: Feb. 8 hearing on possible changes in congressional rules to reform the process of earmarking funds for favored projects. They are expected to push for changes in Senate procedures that will change the process under which earmarks are added to legislation. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee:The week of Feb. 27, the committee will hold a markup of broader lobbying reform legislation, expected to deal with

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Aspen Institute Study on Impact of 2006 Approps on Nonprofits

Feb 2, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Aspen Institute just released their most recent report on how nonprofits are impacted by the 2006 Appropriations.

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Oakar, Danforth - No More Visits to the "Wellness Center" For You!

Feb 2, 2006 by Guest Blogger

On Wednesday, the House passed a resolution, sponsored by Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) revoking the floor and gymnasium privileges of former members who are lobbyists. Surprisingly, the vote was markedly controversial. At a closed-door meeting earlier in the day, members balked at the resolution, saying they felt blindsided by the proposal that many considered unnecessary. The backlash forced Republican leaders to do some last-minute arm-twisting and persuading. The House voted, 379-50, in favor of the resolution (H Res 648), which also bars from the gym those members’ spouses who are lobbyists.

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Democrats and Republicans Swap Lobby Reform Ideas

Feb 2, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Reportedly, Senate Democrats and Republicans sat down on Wednesday to discuss various lobby reform proposals floating around the Congress. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), the Senate's go-to guy on Lobby Reform, has been sitting down with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in an attempt to get a cohesive Republican bil. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has taken the lead for Democrats, saying, " "We [Democrats] already have a good bill. We're going to have an even stronger bill. We will put that on the table. They will put their bill on the table ... and then the real negotiations will begin."

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WRTL Asks for Expedited Review

Feb 1, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The plaintiffs in WRTL have asked for expedited review of the case on remand to a special three-judge court in Washington D.C. From the title="http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Jan06/Jan25/0125wrtlfec.pdf" href="http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Jan06/Jan25/0125wrtlfec.pdf">press release:

Wisconsin Right to Life has asked the District of Columbia District Court to expedite its case in WRTL v. FEC. This court had earlier dismissed the case on the basis that the Supreme Court in McConnell v. FEC had precluded all lawsuits based on the application of the

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Is the Clerk's Office Ready For More Disclosure?

Feb 1, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Will the House Clerk's office implode on Feb. 14? According to an article in Roll Call, the new electronic filing rule is making for some delay. Organizations and firms getting ready to file their Feb. 14 Lobby Disclosure Act forms might want to factor in some time for delays. According to the article, lobbyists that have attempted to file early say the process is nothing short of painful.

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For Wed: Dreier Bill Restricting Former Member Access to Floor, Gym

Jan 31, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The House on Wednesday will vote on a measure that would revoke the floor and gymnasium privileges of former members who are registered lobbyists. The resolution (H Res 648), approved in the Rules Committee by voice vote Tuesday, would also bar from the gym the lobbyist-spouses of current and former members. House Rules Chairman David Dreier, R-Calif., called the measure “a first step toward our package of reforms” aimed at overhauling the way lobbyists and members do business. Dreier is expected to introduce a sweepingÂ lobbying overhaul bill as

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Shelby Says Expect a Vote on GSE Bill Later In the Session

Jan 31, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From CQ: On legislation overhauling regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance giants, Shelby voiced optimism that the bill (S 190) that his panel approved on a party-line vote last July would receive a Senate floor vote this year. “Later in the session we will be in a position to pass the bill,” Shelby said.

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Great Article on the "Money Habit" of Congress

Jan 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs held a hearing on current lobby reform proposals. Dana Milbanks from the Washington Post provided some interesting commentary. The senators yesterday sounded like addicts, powerless to overcome their reliance on lobbyist cash. "It's out of control," lamented Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), a recipient of $573,000 from lobbyists and lawyers over five years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. "We all hate it. And it's about time we collectively think about how we can get off the treadmill."

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