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

Treasury Guidelines Slowing Down Humanitarian Aid to Lebanon

Sep 6, 2006 by Kay Guinane

A recent Chicago Tribune story Charity strives to keep 'clean'" describes how aid organizations face barriers delivering aid in Lebanon because Hezbollah, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Treasury Dept., is part of local government and aid delivery network. Every U.S. aid agency is facing the exact same problem," said a spokesman for a West Coast aid agency operating in Lebanon, who asked not to be named because the subject is "super, super, super sensitive." "We're waiting on word from the Treasury on that. We're waiting on some sort of guidance."

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Congress' Nonprofit Agenda Not Pretty

Sep 5, 2006 by Kay Guinane

Our Executive Director, Gary Bass, speaks out in the Philanthropy Journal Leaders pushing estate-tax repeal, ignoring measures to help nonprofits. With Congress finishing a recess and headed back to Washington, many of us in the nonprofit community are taking stock of the year so far and what lies ahead....

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11 Worst Places to (try) to Vote in U.S.

Sep 5, 2006 by Kay Guinane

This is an excellent roundup of the new generation of voting barriers. See the Sept./Oct. 2006 issue of Mother Jones

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Federal Court Blocks Ohio Law Restricting Nonprofit Voter Education Drives

Sep 1, 2006 by Kay Guinane

From a Sept. 1, 2006 http://www.brennancenter.org/presscenter/releases_2006/pressrelease_2006_0901.html"> Brennan Center press release CLEVELAND, OH - A federal court in Cleveland blocked enforcement of an Ohio state law enacted earlier this year that would have imposed crippling requirements on voter registration groups. The plaintiffs, civic and religious organizations and voting rights groups that have been working in Ohio through many election cycles without government interference, say that the law had dramatically curtailed their efforts to help eligible voters get on the rolls....

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Nonprofits Should Be Encouraged by IRS Decision to Drop NAACP Case

OMB Watch Statement on End of IRS Investigation of NAACP
Today the NAACP announced that the IRS has found that it did not violate the ban on partisan electioneering for charitable groups when its chairman, Julian Bond, criticized several Bush administration policies during a speech given at its 2004 national convention. OMB Watch is encouraged by the outcome and believes now is the time to examine the IRS procedures that led to the controversial case.

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IRS Drops Case Against NAACP

Aug 31, 2006 by Kay Guinane

This morning (Aug. 31, 2006) the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced that, after an investigation that lasted nearly two years, the Internal Revenue Service has dropped its investigation into alleged prohibited partisan activities. The NAACP press release says: Investigation concludes Association did not violate tax laws or commit undue political intervention

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Ohio Ministers, Acting as Individuals, Endorse Candidate

Aug 30, 2006 by Kay Guinane

This looks like a false challenge to the IRS, since the event complied with IRS rules. The Aug. 29 Cleveland Plain Dealer reports: Ministers back Blackwell, challenge IRS Columbus - A national coalition of Christian ministers threw down the gauntlet Monday, endorsing Secretary of State Ken Blackwell for governor and challenging an IRS crackdown on political activities by churches.

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FEC Decision Is a Blow to Civic Participation

Statement on FEC's Failure to Consider Grassroots Lobbying Exemption
The public deserves consideration of the merits of proposals to protect grassroots lobbying. Today, that discussion was blocked, and it was a loss for civic participation and grassroots involvement in democracy.

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FEC Turns Down Exemption to Blackout of Grassroots Lobbying Broadcasts

Aug 29, 2006 by Kay Guinane

In a series of votes stunning for their contradictory rationales, the Democrats on the Federal Election Commission blocked

a proposed Interim Rule that would have exempted grassroots lobbying broadcasts from a federal rule banning such ads 60 days before an election or 30 days before a primary if they mention legislators, governors or the President if they are running for federal office (the "electioneering communications" rule)
a motion to begin a full blown formal rulemaking process to consider a grassroots lobbying exemption, and

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Federal Court Halts FL Barriers to Voter Registration Drives

Aug 29, 2006 by Kay Guinane

The Aug. 29 Miami Herald reports that Third-party groups such as the Florida League of Women Voters, which had stopped voter registration drives because of stiff fines for violations, are back in business, thanks to a federal judge in Miami. U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz on Monday deemed unconstitutional a state voter registration law that affected nonpartisan groups -- but not political parties registered in Florida.

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