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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

more news

Investigation of United Church of Christ Shows IRS Rules Need Fixing

On Feb. 20, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent the United Church of Christ (UCC) national office a letter announcing the agency has launched an investigation because there is "reasonable belief" that the church violated the ban on partisan electioneering, based on a June 23, 2007, speech by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) at the church's 50th General Synod. The investigation has generated strong reactions, and as details emerge, it is clear that this case highlights the inherent weakness of the IRS's facts and circumstances test as a regulatory standard defining what is and is not partisan electioneering.

read in full

House Committee Hearing Highlights Lax Enforcement of Voting Rights

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing on Feb. 26 to examine the problems of voter suppression and poor enforcement of voting rights. The hearing largely focused on the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) lax enforcement of voting rights mandates in the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Evidence of tactics to prevent people from voting (voter suppression) was also presented.

read in full

Leap Day Laugh: Don't Miss This!

Feb 29, 2008 by Kay Guinane

Laughter is the key to survival in advocacy or politics, so don't miss this video "news" on The Onion website: Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results of 2008 Election Early. See it here: War for the White House Maybe it would be funnier if it was posted on April 1….

read in full

Two Muslim Charities Demand Correction of Wall Street Journal Article

Feb 29, 2008 by Kay Guinane

On Feb. 23 the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an article Islamic Charities Draw More Scrutiny, that described the government's ongoing program to shut down charities it suspects of having ties to terrorist organizations. After summarizing a sequence of government designations of U.S. charities as supporters of terrorism, the article says, "Two other charities, Kinder USA and Life for Relief and Development, remain under investigation but have denied any ties to terrorism."

read in full

IRS Investigating United Church of Christ for Obama Speech

Feb 28, 2008 by Kay Guinane

On Feb. 26 the United Church of Christ published a statement revealing that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent them a letter announcing it has launched an investigation into their tax exempt status because it says there is "reasonable belief" that the church violated the ban on partisan electioneering. At issue is a June 23, 2007 speech by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) at the church's 50th General Synod.

read in full

PEPFAR Reauthorization Bill Includes Pledge Requirement for HIV/AIDS Grantees

Feb 27, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

A mark up hearing was held today (February 27) on a compromise bill introduced this morning, the Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, that will expand upon the law passed in 2003. The United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act (PL 108-25) prohibits grants to any group that "does not have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking."

read in full

Congressional Hearings Examine Election Issues

Feb 27, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The House Judiciary Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee passed a resolution, with a 6-4 vote, authorizing a subpoena to former Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell for testimony about the 2004 election. On January 29, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) wrote a letter to Blackwell to "explore the state of voting rights and the allocation of resources to end voter suppression and voter fraud," but he has refused to appear voluntarily. The Associated Press quoted Conyers; "Mr.

read in full

House Ethics Task Force Proposal Likely To Get Vote Soon

Feb 26, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The House is expected to vote soon on the recommendation to create an independent office to consider ethics complaints made against lawmakers. The task force, led by Representative Michael Capuano (D-MA), was created last year as part of the House's overall effort to reform House ethics standards. Many expect passage of the measure that will set up the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), a panel of six board members appointed by the House speaker and the minority leader, with current members and lobbyists ineligible to serve.

read in full

527 Turns to Wisconsin Right to Life Case for Support

Feb 22, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

Relying on the Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL) decision, a newly formed 527 committee argues that they can broadcast their ads, and that under WRTL the pieces are issue advocacy. The 527, the American Leadership Project (ALP), claims that it will not engage in express advocacy and will focus its efforts on issues that are important to the middle class such as the economy. Meanwhile, Bob Bauer (also Senator Barack Obama's lawyer) at moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com argues that their actions violate federal campaign finance law and the group should be considered a political committee.

read in full

Help Stop Immunity for Telecommunications Companies!

Feb 21, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

People For the American Way (PFAW) has a petition that will be sent to Congress urging the rejection of retroactive immunity for telecom companies that assisted with the warrantless wiretapping program. Click here to sign the petition. PFAW has also just completed a "video compilation of activists across the country that sent in video testimonials opposing immunity. The Senate passed a bill last week to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that includes retroactive immunity, but the House has so far refused to give in, which is why this petition is so important.

read in full