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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Lobby Reform Articles

May 3, 2006 by Guest Blogger

New on Lobby Reform: The Hill offers Earmark reform deal in the House raises eyebrows in Senate. USA Today offers Scandal keeps legislators home, which begins: "number of privately sponsored trips taken by members of Congress has plunged this year amid a lobbying scandal and debate over how to restrict relationships between lawmakers and special interests." Roll Call offers Lobby Bill Poised for Passage. Lobbying Firm Broke PAC Rules

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Bauer and Smith Discuss Enforcement at FEC

May 3, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Bob Bauer and Brad Smith duke it out over enforcement at the FEC at skeptic's eye.

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New Election Year Resources for Nonprofits

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has released a report to members of Congress that explains restrictions on advocacy and election activity by different types of nonprofits, along with reporting and disclosure requirements that apply to each type. The report should help reduce confusion on the Hill about nonprofit advocacy. OMB Watch has summarized the report as a resource for nonprofit organizations in this election year. In addition, NPAction.org, hosted by OMB Watch, has launched Nonprofits Can Help America Vote!, an online resource dedicated to guiding and increasing nonprofits' activities around elections.

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House to Vote on Lukewarm Lobby Reform Bill

Following intense negotiations, House leadership sent a lobbying and ethics package to the floor for a May 3 vote made up of watered-down provisions that passed through five committees. A rule restricting amendments during the floor debate will prevent reform advocates from strengthening these provisions.

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Summary of 'Tax-Exempt Organizations: Political Activity Restrictions and Disclosure Requirements'

On April 20, 2006 CRS released Tax-Exempt Organizations: Political Activity Restrictions and Disclosure Requirements, which explains the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) limitations on lobbying and campaign intervention by groups exempt under IRC 501(c)(3) (charities, religious organizations and private foundations), 501(c)(4) (social welfare organizations), 501(c)(5) (labor unions), 501(c)(6) (trade associations) and 527 political committees. 501(c)(3) Organizations

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Nonprofit Panel Releases Supplemental Report

May 2, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From Don Kramer's Nonprofit Issues: The Independent Sector’s Panel on the Nonprofit Sector has issued a Supplement to its Final Report on Strengthening Transparency, Governance and Accountability of Charitable Organizations. Covering nine additional areas of concern, the Supplement generally discourages new federal action to impose limits on charitable activity, with one primary exception. It recommends the creation of a national charitable solicitation registration system to replace the state-by-state system now in effect. For the whole summary, click here.

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State Dept. Freezes Assets of Two Pakistani Charities

May 2, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From the Washington Post: Pakistan has no plans to act against two charities listed by the United States last week as terrorist organisations, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. The State Department last Friday designated Jamaat ud-Dawa and one of its affiliates, Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq, as terrorist organizations, saying they were fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba, one of the most feared Islamist groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. The State Department said all assets held by the two charities in the United States would be frozen. For the whole scoop...

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Must Pass Legislation Likely Targets for Anti-Advocacy Provisions

Recent lobby and ethics reform bills in the Senate and House have become targets for proposals designed to chill nonprofit advocacy. While these proposals have failed so far, their emergence after the anti-advocacy provisions inserted into a housing bill in the fall of 2005 indicates that some members of Congress may continue attempts to silence nonprofits. This requires ongoing vigilance from the sector.

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Rule Passes for Lobby Reform Bill

Apr 27, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The House voted 216-207 to approve a rule (H Res 783) to bring the lobbying-ethics-earmarks bill (HR 4975) to the House floor. Majority Leader John Boehner said the bill would be considered next week. Some GOP lawmakers had earlier tried to block the rule, objecting to provisions dealing with member earmarks.

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Lobby Bill Rule Yanked

Apr 27, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) has yanked the rule providing consideration of the lobby reform bill. Republican Leadership is reportedly concerned that with the Democrats in line to vote against the rule, plus the appopriators. Democrats feel that they bill does not go far enough to clean up Washington. The appropriators want earmark reform parity - the House bill is silent on tax and authorizing bills, and deals only with spending bills.

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