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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House Ways and Means Committee Holds Hearing on the Tax-Exempt Sector

More law school seminar than hearing, on April 20, the House Ways and Means Committee examined the "legal history of the tax-exempt sector; its size, scope and impact on the economy; the need for congressional oversight; Internal Revenue Service (IRS) oversight of the sector; and what the IRS is doing to improve compliance with the law." According to Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA), the hearing, was not meant to parallel a recent hearing by the Senate Finance Committee reviewing specific reforms.

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GAO Finds Bush's Social Security Campaign Not Illegal Lobbying

On April 27, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) sent a letter to eight Democratic senators finding that the Bush administration's program to promote its Social Security plan to the public does not constitute illegal use of government funds for grassroots lobbying. The senators had asked for an assessment of whether the overall context and message of the administration's Social Security campaign amounted to a clear appeal to the public to contact members of Congress. The GAO disagreed, saying that no violation occurs unless there is an express request to the public to contact Congress.

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IRS Describes Increased Enforcement of Nonprofit Sector

Mark Everson, commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), told attorneys at the Georgetown Law Center's Tax-Exempt Seminar that the sector must act to head off a "gathering storm" resulting from use of the sector as a vehicle for tax avoidance. Other IRS officials at the April 28 training described new and increased enforcement activities.

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Senate Committee Passes Amended 527 Bill

An attempt by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell Feingold (D-WI) to extend federal campaign finance regulation to independent political groups has backfired in the Senate Rules Committee, which amended the 527 Reform Act of 2005 (S. 271), to repeal portions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). The vastly altered version of S. 271 passed by the committee on April 27 is a crazy quilt of amendments that restricts independent groups while lifting limits on business groups and PACs run by members of Congress.

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House Tax-Exempt Hearing

Apr 26, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Here is the link to the House hearing. The testimony is up, even though they have not posted the transcript yet.

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Money for Missions - Breakdown of Church/State Wall?

Apr 26, 2005 by Guest Blogger

For years, church-state separation advocates seethed each time Washington sent money to repair a historic structure that also held religious services, such as Boston's Old North Church or Rhode Island's Touro Synagogue. But not until now - with Congress' decision to spend $10 million to restore California missions that also hold Masses - have these advocates found what they consider the perfect "test case" to challenge the practice. Their recent legal effort to block the $10 million expenditure has a purpose that goes beyond the borders of the Golden State. For the whole scoop...

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OMB Watch Urges Senate Rules Committee 'Oppose 527 Reform Act'

WASHINGTON, DC -- Concerned that the 527 Reform Act of 2005 is overbroad and will hinder nonprofits' speech and advocacy rights, the watchdog group OMB Watch is urging the Senate Rules Committee not to act on the bill (S. 271) set for markup Wednesday April 27. A draft substitute amendment to S. 271 by sponsors Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell Feingold (D-WI) removes some problems with the original bill. For instance, the substitute bill would ensure 501(c) organizations would not be adversely impacted, as many experts feared (including a member of the Federal Election Commission).

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Accountabilty Field Mtg Sponsored by Foundations

Apr 22, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Charities and philanthropies will speak out on ways to have more oversight and governance within the nonprofit sector at a Field Meeting at the Westin - Southfield (1500 Town Center) on April 27 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in Southfield, MI.

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IRA Rollover Legislation Introduced in House

Apr 22, 2005 by Guest Blogger

On Wednesday, April 13, 2005, Representatives Wally Herger (R-CA) and Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) introduced a stand-alone IRA charitable rollover bill. H.R. 1607, the "Public Good IRA Rollover Act," allows individuals to contribute amounts currently held in IRA accounts directly to qualified charities without having to first recognize the income for tax purposes and then take a charitable deduction. For an outright gift to a charity, a person must be at least 70 1/2. For split-interest gifts (i.e.

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527 Reform Bill Sponsors Circulate Amended Version

A draft substitute amendment to S. 271, the 527 Reform Act of 2005, is being circulated by sponsors Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell Feingold (D-WI). It removes some problems with the original bill, but still would subject independent political organizations to the same regulations as parties and federal candidates.

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