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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The Capuano Coma -- No Act of Commission

Jun 29, 2007 by Dana Chasin

For several months, Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) has been responsible for leading the task force charged with reporting a recommendation to Speaker Pelosi about creating an independent commission to hear and advise on ethics complaints against members of the House. The Capuano task force has stopped meeting, according to Congressional Quarterly ($). Apparently, "some Democrats ... fear that a change in the current ethics process would leave them vulnerable to politically motivated complaints." As opposed to the status quo?

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Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill Would Eliminate Part of Global Gag Rule for Family Planning Grantees

Jun 29, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

CQ ($$) reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill for foreign operations that will permit the U.S. to provide contraceptives to family-planning groups to distribute in developing countries. This would be an important change to the Global Gag Rule (also known as the Mexico City Policy) in ending restrictions on use of private funds by nonprofits with federal family planning grants.

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Will the FEC Issue Ruling on Grass Roots Lobbying?

Jun 29, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that yes, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is considering how to respond to the Supreme Court ruling in the Wisconsin Right to Life case. Commission Chairman Robert Lenhard said that he and his fellow commissioners did not have anything to say yet about the decision, but they expect to have an announcement soon.

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Conferees Tied to Party Spending Issue

Jun 28, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

As already noted, Republicans will only go along with naming conferees for the ethics and lobbying bill if the Senate takes up the Senate electronic filing bill along with an unspecified amendment. According to BNA Money and Politics, ($$) that amendment likely deals with lifting controls on political party coordinated spending to help candidates.

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IRS Introduces Online Tool to Help Tax-Exempt Organizations

Jun 28, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released four new "Life Cycles," online tools to help nonprofits with tax rules and requirements. Click here for the public charity Life Cycle page.

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GOP Sen. on WH Earmarks: "Hypocrisy? No, Duplicity"

Jun 28, 2007 by Dana Chasin

An article in The Hill this morning quotes GOP Sen. Larry Craig (ID), responding to a question about whether President Bush was being hypocritical for requesting hundreds of earmarks even while criticizing them and vowing to cut the number of earmarks in half this year: "Hypocrisy? No, but one might call that duplicity."

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Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Bill Passes House

Jun 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The House passed the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007, (H.R. 1281) to prohibit deceptive practices in federal elections, making it a felony to knowingly communicate false election information to prevent another person from voting. BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that "the new House bill did not reflect GOP concerns about voter fraud, no one voiced opposition to the measure during a brief debate on the House floor June 25.

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The Long and Winding Road ... to Conference

Jun 27, 2007 by Dana Chasin

On May 24, the House adopted H.R. 2316, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (aka, the lobbying and ethics bill), in a lop-sided 396-22 vote. The Senate passed S. 1, its own version of the bill back on January 18 almost unanimously, 96-2.

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The Long and Winding Road ... to Conference

Jun 27, 2007 by Dana Chasin

On May 24, the House adopted H.R. 2316, the lobbying and ethics bill (aka, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, in a lop-sided 396-22 vote. The Senate passed S. 1, its own version of the bill back on January 18 almost unanimously, 96-2.

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Edwards Defends Nonprofit

Jun 27, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Last week the use of presidential candidate John Edwards' tax-exempt organization to finance campaign expenses was highlighted in a New York Times article.

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