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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Civil Liberties Group Sues North Carolina Board of Elections Challenging Total Ban on Lobbyist Contributions

Aug 21, 2008 by Lateefah Williams*

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina Legal Foundation (ACLU-NCLF) filed a lawsuit yesterday against the North Carolina Board of Elections due to the Board of Elections policy banning lobbyist from contributing any money to candidates for the state legislative, as well as many other state candidates, during the year in which the individual is a registered lobbyist.

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Court Rules Anti-prostitution Pledge Requirement Unconsitutional

Aug 20, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

A federal judge ruled that requiring groups to pledge their opposition to prostitution in order to participate in the federal government's international HIV/AIDS program continues to violate the First Amendment. This lawsuit challenges the requirement that public health groups receiving U.S. funds under the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act pledge their opposition to prostitution in order to continue to receive funding.

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New Edition of Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations

Aug 20, 2008 by Lateefah Williams*

An updated version of the IRS' Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations is now available. To see Publication 1828, click here.

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Nonprofit in New Mexico Told to Register as PAC

Aug 20, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Center for Civic Policy, a 501(c)(3) organization in New Mexico, distributed a series of mailers regarding the voting records of some members of the state legislature months before the June 3 primary. After losing the primary election, three lawmakers have sued Aug. 1, asserting that the group committed fraud in the financing of campaigns against them, alleging that the group's efforts crossed the line into political activity. They also want the group to register as a political action committee to fully disclose its funders.

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Voter Machine Flaws Will Not Be Corrected By Election Day

Aug 20, 2008 by Lateefah Williams*

Flaws in voter machines nationwide will not be fixed by the November elections. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced that they will not be able to certify necessary upgrades before the general election. States vary in policies concerning whether or not federal certification of voter machines is required.

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New Form 990 Instructions Available

Aug 19, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the revised instructions for the redesigned Form 990, which must be filed starting with tax year 2008. The IRS released a draft version of the instructions in April and then asked for comments.

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Anti-Obama Group Seeks Exemption from Campaign Finance Rules

A new 527 group called The Real Truth About Obama, Inc. (RTAO) has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Richmond, VA, against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). RTAO plans to run issue ads examining the Democratic presidential candidate's position on abortion and other policy issues. RTAO argues it is not a political action committee (PAC) because it will not advocate for Obama's defeat or election. The group seeks to prevent the enforcement of several FEC regulations regarding when a group must register as a PAC, as well as the enforcement of federal reporting requirements for political organizations, including 527 groups.

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FEC Seeks New Judge Assignment

Aug 14, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

A Sept. 10 hearing is scheduled for the Real Truth About Obama Inc.'s (RTAO) lawsuit. RTAO is requesting that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is prohibited from enforcing reporting requirements for independent political groups. The rules being challenged could require a group to disclose its finances, limit contributions to $5,000 per contributor and ban corporate and union money if the group is considered by the FEC to be a "political committee."

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New Congressional Database on Lobbying Contributions

Aug 13, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports on some findings from the new database of lobbyist campaign contributions as required by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. "Lobbyists and the organizations they work for have disclosed nearly 100,000 contributions and other payments linked to members of Congress and other top officials under a new reporting system required by last year's lobbying and ethics reform law."

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Watchdog Group Files IRS Complaint Against Tennessee Church

Aug 8, 2008 by Lateefah Williams*

Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) alleging that Pastor Maury Davis, of Cornerstone Church in Madison, Tennessee, violated federal tax law during an August 3rd sermon when he endorsed three School Board candidates from the pulpit. Federal tax law prohibits tax-exempt charitable organizations from engaging in partisan politics and campaign intervention. The IRS has said in the past that it is stepping up enforcement of the ban.

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