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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Short Colbert Campaign Stirs Election Law Debate

On Oct. 16, Comedy Central comedian Stephen Colbert used his nightly television show to announce that he was running for President of the United States and would file to get on both the Democratic and Republican primary ballots in his home state of South Carolina. The campaign was cut short on Nov. 1 when the South Carolina Democratic Party Executive Committee voted 13-3 to reject his application to get on the ballot. Colbert did not file to run as a Republican because of the party's $35,000 filing fee.

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"Advocacy Is Not A Dirty Word"

Oct 31, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Author of Seen but not Heard: Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy, and Executive Director of OMB Watch, Gary Bass has written an op-ed appearing in the Chronicle of Philanthropy addressing the importance of advocacy in the nonprofit sector.

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FISA Amendments Update

Oct 29, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveilance Act (FISA) this Wednesday (Oct.31). This follows the Senate Intelligence Committee's passage of S.2248. The committee's report on the bill highlights what occurred during their closed door mark up hearing. The report states that telecommunications companies participating in the surveillance program received regular letters affirming that President Bush authorized the program.

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Pennsylvania Will not Release Polling Locations?!

Oct 26, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Reportedly, a list of polling places in Pennsylvania will not be publicized because state officials are concerned that terrorists could disrupt elections. This decision was influenced by the terrorist bombings that occurred days before Spain's national elections in 2004. However, information on individual polling places will remain available on the state voter services web site. Many nonprofit organizations that conduct get-out-the-vote efforts will certainly face difficulties because of this.

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FEC Will Allow Hearings for Violators of Election Law

Oct 26, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) will allow hearings for those accused of federal election law violations. According to CQ Politics;

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Senators Want to Overturn Buckley

Oct 25, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

On October 18, Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced SJR 21, a proposed Constitutional amendment that would overturn the 1976 Supreme Court opinion in Buckley v. Valeo. The proposed amendment states, "Congress shall have power to regulate the raising and spending of money, including through setting limits, for campaigns for nomination for election to, or for election to, Federal office."

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Will The Colbert Report Violate Campaign Finance Law?

Oct 24, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Don't miss this hilarious video clip of Stephen Colbert doing a spoof of the Federal Election Campaign Act's (FECA) application to his campaign for presidency. He has signed papers to get on the Democratic and Republican primary ballots in South Carolina. Now many are asking whether Colbert risks violating election law with the show promoting the campaign. What would happen to the show as the election nears? Faced with a similar situation earlier this year, NBC decided to stop airing Law & Order reruns featuring Fred Thompson.

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Whistleblower Case Reveals Possible Political Campaign Intervention

Three former Oral Roberts University (ORU) professors filed a lawsuit on Oct. 2 in Tulsa, OK, against the university, alleging they were wrongfully fired after they reported the private school's involvement in a local political race. They claim that ORU President Richard Roberts directed former government professor Tim Brooker to use his students and resources to support the 2005 mayoral campaign of Tulsa County Commissioner Randi Miller. This use of university resources would violate the institution's tax-exempt status.

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News From the IRS For 501(c)(3)s

Oct 19, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released this new pamphlet, Compliance Guide for 501(c)(3) Public Charities. The packet includes information on activities that may risk a group's exempt status, information on recordkeeping, changes to be reported to the IRS, required public disclosures, and more resources for charities. And also see this brochure for charities.

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No Surprise: Senate Intelligence Committee Passes FISA Bill

Oct 19, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

With a vote of 13-2, the Senate Intelligence Committee passed the bill to revise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The measure does have retroactive legal immunity for telephone carriers and would not require the FISA court to issue a warrant for surveillance of a foreign suspect who might have communications with a U.S. resident, but the administration would have to submit its surveillance and minimization procedures to the court for approval. The bill would also sunset after six years.

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