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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Pence Amendment Blocks Funds To Enforce Ban on Electioneering Communications

Jul 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Late yesterday afternoon the House voted 215-205 approving Rep. Mike Pence's (R-IN) amendment to the Department of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies appropriation bill (H.R. 3093). The Pence amendment prohibits funds appropriated in the bill from being used by the Department of Justice to enforce provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) dealing with ''electioneering communications.'' The amendment does not change the ability of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to charge civil penalties.

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Senate Bill Protects Nonprofit Voter Registration Drives

Jul 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Last June OMB Watch was very concerned about rules in Florida that would make voter registration drives very difficult and risky. The law was later overturned as unconstitutional, but one can argue damage was done and a trend of regulating voter registration drives continued. The issue of protecting nonprofits' ability to conduct such valuable efforts has resurfaced.

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Representative Pascrell: Charities Seem to Be "Painted With Wide Brush"

Jul 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Reflecting once again on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight hearing on tax-exempt organizations, a note of thanks should go out to the Council on Foundations and Representative Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) for addressing an area of great concern. During opening statements, Pascrell commented on Treasury's assertion that charities are a "significant source of terrorist funding," observing that Treasury seems to be "painting the sector with a wide brush." Steve Gunderson, the President and CEO of the Council on Foundations testified at the hearing.

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Replacement Lobbying and Ethics Bill Underway; Could A Bill Be Complete Before the Recess?

Jul 26, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

CQ ($$) reports that the long overdue lobbying and ethics bill could clear Congress before the August recess begins. Staff has been working on an identical measure to be voted in both the House and Senate to replace the passed S.1 and H.R. 2316. In his fight to ensure that earmark language is included, Senate Jim DeMint (R-SC) has reportedly promised to filibuster any legislation that does not contain the precise earmark language in the original Senate bill passed in January.

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Conflicting Stories on the Nonprofit Sector

Jul 25, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Yesterday the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, led by Chairman John Lewis (D-GA), held a hearing on tax-exempt charitable organizations. Chairman Lewis set the overall tone with his opening statement praising the work of nonprofits. "These organizations play such an important role in our country. Charities and foundations make up the very fabric of our communities. They know the deepest human needs of our friends and neighbors and they know the solutions that work." All other committee members emphasized their appreciation for the nonprofit sector as well.

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FYI: Tax Law Restrictions on Activities of Common Exempt Organizations

Jul 25, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has published a chart outlining seven federal tax law characteristics of 501(c)(3),501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), 501(c)(6) and 527 organizations. The chart indicates whether such organizations may receive tax-deductible contributions, contributions or fees deductible as a business expense, engage in legislative advocacy, engage in candidate election advocacy, or engage in public advocacy not related to legislation or election of candidates.

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Rep. Young, Sen. Stevens Under Criminal Probe

Jul 25, 2007 by Craig Jennings

Allegations of $$ for Earmarks, Contracts The Wall Street Journal reports today that "Federal investigators are examining whether Rep. [Don] Young [R-AK] or Sen. [Ted] Stevens [R-AK] accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from VECO Corp., Alaska's largest oil-field engineering firm."

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Pressure to Pass Lobby Reform Grows

No one is certain when Congress will leave for its summer recess. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has said the Senate will recess only when it has passed several high profile bills, including lobby reform. Progress on this legislation has stalled because Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has used parliamentary procedure to stop Reid from appointing the Senate conferees. One solution to the problem may be that the House and Senate pass identical bills to avoid a conference. However, reform groups have raised concerns about this process, since it may result in weakened legislation.

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FEC Will Draft Rule Allowing Issue Advocacy Broadcasts

Following the June U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Federal Election Commission vs. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., which found the federal electioneering communications ban unconstitutional when applied to genuine issue ads, there has been a fast-paced effort to tie up loose ends in related cases and set the stage for the 2008 election. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) announced that it will issue a proposed rule in August to incorporate the decision into its regulations. In two related court cases, the FEC conceded that certain ads in question were genuine issue ads, including one that was critical of a senator's position on a bill. The "electioneering communications" provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) prohibits corporations, including nonprofits, from paying for broadcasts that refer to a candidate for federal office within 30 days of a primary and 60 days of a general election.

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New Executive Order on Iraq Expands Problems for Charities

President Bush issued an executive order on July 16 that expands the government's authority to block the U.S.-based financial assets of individuals or groups in Iraq beyond those it designates as supporters of terrorism, to include those who act, or assist those who act, against peace and stability in Iraq. The order, titled Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq, directs the U.S.

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