Protecting Nonprofit 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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White House Opposes Head Start Reauthorization Bill

May 1, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

According to CQ, ($$) the White House expressed strong opposition to the Head Start reauthorization bill (HR 1429) that the House is expected to vote on today. The administration issued a statement that urges Congress to preserve Head Start's National Reporting System and to amend the bill to give hiring exemptions to faith-based groups. "The Administration strongly encourages the House to amend H.R.

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Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in Grassroots Lobbying Case

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument on April 25 in Wisconsin Right to Life's (WRTL) challenge to the constitutionality of a campaign finance law that limits certain broadcasts, including grassroots lobbying messages, during federal campaigns. The issue before the Court is whether the law is unconstitutional as applied to the facts of WRTL's 2004 grassroots lobbying radio ads. Much of the argument addressed what standard should be used to define "genuine issue ads" entitled to constitutional protection.

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House Bill Seeks Accountability for Anti-Terrorist Financing Programs

Legislation was recently introduced in the House that would require the Departments of State and Treasury to adopt recommendations of an October 2005 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, which addressed the effectiveness of the U.S. government's efforts to assist other countries in the war on terrorism. Among other things, the bill would require the Treasury Department to submit in an annual report to Congress more complete information on how the agency tracks and blocks terrorist assets.

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Possible Technical Changes to PPA Exempt Organization Provisions

Apr 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Georgetown University Law Center held a conference titled, "Representing and Managing Tax-Exempt Organizations 2007." BNA Money and Politics ($$) reported on much of its content, including news that Congress may be making technical corrections to some of the provisions of the Pension Protection Act (PPA). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also issued a new question-and-answer document to help exempt organizations file their 2006 Form 990s.

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District Court Reverses Earlier Decision on "Terror" Designations

Apr 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins of the Central District of California issued an opinion reversing an earlier ruling from November 2006 that portions of the Executive Order used to designate organizations as supporters of terrorism are unconstitutionally vague. Judge Collins left open the possibility that groups or individuals with ties to the designated groups could challenge the designations separately.

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Campaign Disclosure Parity Act Stalled Again

Apr 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Yesterday once again efforts were blocked to take up the Campaign Disclosure Parity Act (S.223) by unanimous consent. Watch it happen here. The Sunlight Foundation is still leading an effort to try and uncover why this no nonsense, good government bill, is being blocked. Read the story in the Washington Post.

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Bills to Restrict Political Robocalls Popping Up in States

Apr 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

This article from the New York Times highlights an upcoming vote in the Nebraska state legislature to regulate robocalls. The pending bill in Nebraska would limit the number of automated political calls any household could receive in one day to two, restrict calling to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., who is responsible for the call would have to be disclosed at the beginning, and indicate whether a candidate approved the message.

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Tell Your Representative To Oppose Motion to Recommit; Support Head Start Reauthorization As Approved By Committee!

Apr 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Next week, possibly Wednesday, the House will consider H.R.1429, to reauthorize for the first time in a decade, the childhood development program Head Start. However,

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New DOD Official Recommends Cancellation of Program That Spied on Peace Groups

Apr 27, 2007 by Kay Guinane

On April 25 the Washington Post and Associated Press reported that the Pentagon's new undersecretary of defense for intelligence, James R. Clapper, has made an intelligent recommedation: shut down the TALON program. It was meant to collect information on possible threats to U.S. military installations, but has been used to spy on peace groups and anti-military protesters. The Post article said:

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Good Day for 501(c)(3)s in the Supreme Court

Apr 26, 2007 by Kay Guinane

Yesterday's oral argument before the Supreme Court in Wisconsin Right to Life, suggests that the grassroots lobbying rights of 501(c)(3) organizations may get greater protection in the court's upcoming decision. In the oral arguments the attorney for the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Paul Clement, admitted that 501(c)(3) organizations would have an "inspirational" challenge to the electioneering communications rule because we cannot establish political action committees (PAC).

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