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

Civic Engagement For A Thriving Democracy

Nov 14, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

The focus of Katy J. Harriger's opinion piece in the Philanthropy Journal should not be overlooked; nonprofits and the philanthropic community are hurt when government and citizens are not engaged in politics. This makes government less responsible and in addition to various other reasons, the public sector becomes weakened which there by hurts the nonprofit sector. As we all learned in class, a three-legged stool is used to represent the relationship between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and therefore each must be equally strong.

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Pelosi: "Honest Leadership and Open Government"

Nov 13, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

It has been reported that it may be more likely in the upcoming 110th Congress for changes in lobbying and ethics rules. According to BNA (subscription required) on November 9, six reform groups, the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, League of Women Voters, Public Citizen, and U.S. PIRG held a press conference commending Pelosi's promise to quickly take up ethics and lobbying reforms. Exit polls reveal that scandals were a major issue in the election, opening up opportunity to bring up such legislation.

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Agenda of House Administration Committee

Nov 10, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics reports that lobbying and ethics reform could top the Democrats' agenda in the 110th Congress. The House Administration Committee, which will most likely be led by Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.), has worked on campaign finance and lobbying rules in the past and the Help America Vote Act in 2002.

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Responses to Election Day

Nov 10, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

Common Cause has released GETTING IT STRAIGHT: A Preliminary Look at Data Collected from Voters During the Elections of 2006. This report summarizes the information that was called in to the voter assistance hotline 866-MYVOTE-1. As noted, the problems highlight that there are still serious flaws in our voting system.

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Grassley Asks IRS About ACORN

Nov 9, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

As previously reported, Senator Grassley had asked ACORN for information to investigate whether they are at risk for losing their tax exempt status because of voter fraud allegations. ACORN has yet to supply any response to that letter, and Grassley has now contacted the Internal Revenue Service.

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Church Electioneering Charges on Eve of Election

Nov 8, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

A day before the election Americans United for Separation of Church and State asked the IRS to investigate four churches because of their political activities. Two of the cases involve Republicans and two Democrats. Bethel AME Church in Cambridge, Maryland hosted a rally for gubernatorial candidate O'Malley, of which AU considers was a partisan rally. Lakeview Assembly of God in Hot Springs, Arkansas advertised in the local newspaper the appearance of gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, while the opponent was not included in the program.

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Tumultuous Week for Voting Rights, Confusing Week for Voters

A series of last-minute court cases and pre-election maneuvers will likely leave many voters confused about their rights as they go to the polls today. Widespread concern surrounds electronic voting and a host of voter identification requirements that could create inequities at polling centers across the country. Legal challenges to voter requirements will not be resolved until after this election cycle, so concerned groups have launched new efforts to document voter fraud and disenfranchisement of minorities, and elderly and disabled persons.

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ACORN Voter Registration Drive Investigated

Voter registration drives sponsored by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) are being investigated by federal authorities and the Senate Finance Committee after allegations that fraudulent voter registration cards were submitted in four of its 17 state efforts. The group is cooperating with authorities and says misconduct by temporary workers appears to be at the root of the problem.

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Nonprofits Call for Release of Frozen Funds for Humanitarian Efforts

In a letter sent Nov. 6, a group of charities and nonprofit sector leaders asked the Treasury Department to release frozen funds belonging to charities designated as supporters of terrorism "to trustworthy aid agencies that can ensure the funds are used for their intended charitable purposes." According to the letter, the request "takes no position on whether these designations were appropriate. Instead, [the authors'] concern is with ensuring that charitable funds are put to good use."

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