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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Forum on Rules for Tax-Exempt Organizations during an Election Year

May 14, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be holding a free phone forum on Rules for Tax-Exempt Organizations During An Election Year. The Forum is scheduled for June 9, 2008, and will be repeated the following day. Space is limited and will be reserved on a first-come basis, and organizations may register as a group. According to the IRS, the forum will discuss the distinctions between political activity, lobbying and general advocacy, and which activities are permissible by 501(c)(3) charities, 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(5), 501(c)(6), and 527 political organizations.

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Federal Trade Commission Seeks Authority Over 501(c)(3) Groups

May 14, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)'s authority could soon extend to regulate nonprofits. Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) have introduced S.2831, the FTC Reauthorization Act of 2008. A Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee press release states the bill "expands the Commission's authority to regulate non-profits for unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

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Reid Seeks Help from the White House for Separate Hans von Spakovsky Vote

May 14, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

After last week's announcement of new nominees to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), not much progress has been made. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has responded; either remove Hans von Spakovsky's name or allow individual votes on the FEC nominees. In addition, Reid offered his support if Hans were replaced with David Mason. BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports;

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IRS May Consider Project to Monitor Political Activity of 501(c)(4)s

May 13, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is considering a project to look at 501(c)(4) organizations. During the American Bar Association Section of Taxation conference session on election issues for tax-exempt organizations, Judith Kindell, a tax law specialist in IRS's rulings and agreements section, addressed the issue of 501(c)(4)s.

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Veterans Administration Bars Voter Registration Drives for Wounded Soldiers

On April 25, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued Directive 2008-023, "Voting Assistance for VA Patients," allowing voter registration drives in VA hospitals, only to reverse itself on May 5 with Directive 2008-025. Without registration drives, it appears that each veteran will have to request support individually, placing the burden on veterans who are staying in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or nursing homes. Litigation on the issue is pending.

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Group Plans to Challenge IRS Election Standard

The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), an Arizona nonprofit organization, has launched an effort to encourage ministers to "preach from the pulpit a sermon that addresses the candidates for government office in light of the truth of Scripture." "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" is planned for Sunday, Sept. 28, slightly more than a month before the presidential election. The group will intentionally use sermons to challenge the Internal Revenue Code's ban on partisan electioneering by 501(c)(3) organizations. It hopes any investigations lead to a lawsuit and a court decision finding the prohibition to be unconstitutional.

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Young Adults Voting at Record Levels this Primary Season

May 13, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

According to Rock the Vote, more than six million voters under 30 have cast ballots in the 2008 primaries and caucuses so far. A very conservative estimate is that this more than 2.2 million more than voted in the most recent comparable primaries. To learn more, check out Rock the Vote's recently updated 2008 Primary Turnout Factsheet.

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Missouri Lawmakers Want to Require Proof of Citizenship to Vote

May 12, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

According to a May 12, 2008 story in the New York Times— Voter ID Battle Shifts to Proof of Citizenship — lawmakers in Missouri are expected to support a constitutional amendment that would enable election officials to require proof of citizenship to register as a voter in the state. Sponsors of the amendment — which requires the approval of voters to go into effect— argue that it is necessary to prevent illegal immigrants from voting.

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Group Seeks Court Test of IRS Electioneering Ban

May 9, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), an Arizona nonprofit, has started an effort to encourage ministers to "use their pulpits to preach about election candidates this September." 501(c)(3) nonprofits, including churches, are prohibited from endorsing or publicly opposing political candidates or intervening in candidates' elections. The group would like if one sermon prompts an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigation that becomes a court battle, leading towards an outcome ruling the tax provision unconstitutional.

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Senate Homeland Security Committee Issues Report on Domestic Extremism

May 9, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

Leaders of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME), have introduced a report titled "Violent Islamist Extremism, the Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorism Threat," based on hearings held by the Committee that looked into violent homegrown terrorism. They warn, "that the threat of homegrown terrorism is on the rise, aided by the Internet's capacity to spread the core recruitment and training message of violent Islamist terrorist groups."

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