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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more news

Congress Says Send Money, Not Your Opinion

Jun 8, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

The Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives recently announced the availability of an "enhancement" to the House's “Write Your Rep” system that challenges constituents with a "logic puzzle" before they are allowed to submit a comment via web form. For an example, go to http://www.house.gov/writerep, select California, and use zip code 93292. At this time, not very many representatives have adopted the logic puzzle challenge, but the numbers are growing.

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Nonprofit To Start Public-Interest Website

Jun 8, 2006 by Guest Blogger

One Economy Corp., a nonprofit group, has started a project called the Public Internet Channel, plans to create a website with easily accessible information about public safety, emergency services, education, health and economic opportunities. They believe that much of the content on the Internet is hard to find, especially if you are not web-savvy. See One Economy's existing site.

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Brennan Center Gets in the Mix Over the Blackwell Rules in Ohio

Jun 7, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The Brennan Center is taking on the Blackwell voting rules. Click here for their press release, and here to see their letter to Sec. Blackwell

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TIGTA Praises EO Division for Katrina Work

Jun 7, 2006 by Guest Blogger

According to a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration June 5 report, the Exempt Organizations unit at the Internal Revenue Service received high marks for handling requests for new tax-exempt organizations following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The report, The Exempt Organizations Function Effectively Processed Requests for Tax-Exempt Status From Charitable Organizations Supporting Hurricane Relief Reference Number: 2006-10-089, is available online at http://www.tigta.gov.

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Organizations Say Ohio Voter Law is a Hindrance to Registration

Jun 6, 2006 by Guest Blogger

New rules issued by the Ohio secretary of state's office governing groups that pay people to register voters are confusing and have hindered their efforts to sign up new voters, critics of the rules said Monday. For the whole scoop, check out this story in the Cinncinnati Enquirer.

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Report on Privately Funded Trips on Capitol Hill

Jun 6, 2006 by Guest Blogger

A Washington Post article on a report issued by the Center for Public Integrity, American Public Media and Northwestern University's Medill News Service.

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Major Challenge to Faith-Based Initiative

Jun 5, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From the Washington Post: In a 140-page decision, U.S. District Judge Robert W. Pratt ruled that the InnerChange Freedom Initiative program at Iowa's Newton Correctional Facility violated the constitutional ban on government establishment of religion because it was state-funded, pervasively sectarian and aimed at religious conversion. Brought by Americans for the Seperation of Church and State, the case is a major challenge to the faith-based initiative.

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527s Breathe Sigh of Relief

Jun 5, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From Roll Call: Now that the Federal Election Commission last week opted not to take its rules on 527 political groups back to the drawing table, most of these groups are expressing satisfaction with the decision. And, some say, they can move ahead with activities without fear of having the FEC rules change on them as the 2006 election approaches.

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Reformers Ask for Real Lobby Reform

Jun 2, 2006 by Guest Blogger

A coalition of reform groups issued a statement today, saying: Regardless of whether a conference report passes, furthermore, the House and Senate must go back to square one and produce real, not cosmetic, reforms to address the worst congressional corruption scandals in decades. They also noted that they will continue to press for real reform, regardless of what does or doesn't come out of conference. For the text of the letter

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Court Denies Christian Civic League's Motion

Jun 2, 2006 by Guest Blogger

On May 31, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied the Christian Civic League of Maine’s (CCLM) motion to stay proceedings in CCLM v. FEC. A motion to stay proceedings freezes/suspends the proceedings in a case, usually allowing for one of the parties to correct an action that the court has required them to perform.On May 9, court denied the CCLM's request for a preliminary injunction. The court reasoned that CCLM could have paid for the ad out of their PAC funds, or taken Sen. Snowe's name, who is up for reelection, out of the ad.

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