Protecting Nonprofit Rights

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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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Transcript of Oral Argument in Voter ID Law Case Now Available

Jan 10, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

Oral arguments in the much-anticipated Indiana voter ID law case -- Crawford v. Marion County Election Board -- were made before the U.S. Supreme Court this past Wednesday, January 9th. Read the transcript here

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Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments In Critical Case on Voter ID

Jan 9, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

Today the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the much anticipated voter ID law case — Crawford v. Marion County Election Board . The Supreme Court Justices must determine whether to uphold an April 2006 decision , written by Judge Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, which supported Indiana's requirement that voters present valid photo identification before being allowed to vote. The New York Times is reporting that the justices "appeared reluctant" to strike down the law.

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Article urges bright-line rule on partisan intervention in elections by 501(c)(3)s

Jan 8, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

In an article in the current edition of the University of North Carolina School of Law's First Amendment Law Review , OMB Watch's Nonprofit Advocacy Director Kay Guinane argues that IRS rules regulating political activities of 501(c)(3) organizations should be changed to ensure the First Amendment protections of charities. Guinane's piece was published as part of the First Amendment Law Review's 2007 Symposium: No Strings Attached? — The First Amendment and Tax-Exempt Organizations.

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IRS Issues Final Version of New Form 990

On Dec. 20, 2007, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the final version of its updated Form 990, the informational return for public charities and other tax-exempt organizations. The new form marked the first revision since 1979 and will be used for the 2008 tax year (returns filed in 2009). The IRS expects to release draft instructions for the 2008 Form 990 later in January. Although the new Form 990 incorporated many suggestions made in public comments on the draft version, the IRS did not make key changes to clarify and simplify reporting of advocacy-related activities.

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Court Says Evidence Must Tie Charities to Terrorist Attack, Overturns $156 Million Judgment

On Dec. 28, 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit overturned a $156 million judgment against several U.S.-based charities accused of supporting terrorism. The court ruled that the 2004 award against several charities that required payment of damages to the family of David Boim, who was shot to death in the West Bank in 1996 in an attack attributed to Hamas, must be based on evidence that the charities were directly connected to the murder. The case was sent back to the lower court where there may be a new trial. The case could have a significant impact on the long-term fate of charitable funds seized by the government as part of its financial war on terror.

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Parts of Patriot Act Definition of Support for Terrorism Held Unconstitutional

On Dec. 10, 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled several provisions of the Patriot Act unconstitutional. The portions of the 2001 law in question criminalized any support for nonviolent activities of groups deemed by the Bush administration to be "terrorist organizations."

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Pastors in Iowa Supporting Huckabee Received Anonymous Warning Letters

Jan 7, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Washington Post reported last week that several Iowa pastors supporting Republican Presidential nominee Mike Huckabee received anonymous letters cautioning that support of Huckabee could jeopardize their tax-exempt status. According to IRS regulations, charities, educational institutions and religious organizations are prohibited from participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office.

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In Defense of Free Speech Rights and Fair Elections

Jan 3, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

An editorial in today's LA Times responds to the worries that outside groups will have dangerous influences on the election, taking on the concept that, "a 'fair' election . . . means ones in which voters are shielded from the propaganda of special interest groups." Importantly, it is noted that the support of wealthy individuals, or newspaper editorial boards, is just as prevalent as any outside group.

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What Will Become of the FEC?

Jan 3, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has begun 2008 with only two sitting commissioners, Republican David Mason and Democrat Ellen Weintraubunder both serving expired terms themselves. A stalled Senate confirmation of commissioners was caused by the controversial Republican Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky who many opposed because of his work in the Justice Department's civil rights division where he supported efforts to require that voters present a photo ID. Bob Bauer at moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com has a few opinions on the state of the FEC, here and here.

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Brennan Center report discredits alleged "voter fraud." Asserts these bogus claims harm election integrity.

Jan 3, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

A new report by the Brennan Center for Justice examines alleged instances of voter fraud, finding these claims "often prove greatly exaggerated." In the The Truth About Voter Fraud , author Justin Levitt defines voter fraud to clarify widespread confusion about the term's meaning. He then analyzes scenarios often described as voter fraud. Finally, he describes infamous individual cases of voter fraud and offers alternative causes and policy recommendations.

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Resources & Research

Living in the Shadow of Danger: Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards

People of color and people living in poverty, especially poor children of color, are significantly more likely...

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A Tale of Two Retirements: One for CEOs and One for the Rest of Us

The 100 largest CEO retirement funds are worth a combined $4.9 billion, equal to the entire retirement account savings of 41 percent of American fam...

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Blowing Smoke: Chemical Companies Say “Trust Us,” But Environmental and Workplace Safety Violations Belie Their Rhetoric

Large chemical companies a...

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Gasping for Support: Implementation of Tougher Air Quality Standards Will Require New Funds for State Agencies

New scientific research shows that the current levels of...

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