Nonprofit Speech Rights | Center for Effective Government

Nonprofits Needed to Help Fill Poll Worker Shortage

Low turnout among young voters is often ascribed to apathy, but part of the problem is the barriers young people face when casting ballots or trying to work at the polls. Nonprofits can help remove these barriers. In many states, to register to vote, you must establish a "fixed and permanent" address. Yet many young people's "fixed and permanent" address is miles away from where they spend eight months of each year. College residence generally does not qualify as "fixed and permanent" for purposes of voting, since it does not demonstrate intent to establish residency.

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Church Electioneering Bill Could Go Into Jobs Bill at Conference

Political pressure is building on a powerful House lawmaker to allow religious organizations to endorse political candidates and use their resources for partisan activities. Conservative lawmakers are trying to include the HR 235, the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, into the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, HR 4520, which is currently in conference committee on Capitol Hill. This proposal has already been rejected twice in the House of Representatives.

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Government Grant Streamlining

Background and Past Action Current Federal Action State Action Make Your Voice Heard Sign-up for Email Notices Useful Resources For additional information contact Kay Guinane, Nonprofit Advocacy.

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IRS Audits Nonprofits, Lets Big Business Slide

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun a major effort to examine internal financial issues of charities and foundations. IRS Announcement 2004-206, issued August 10, said nearly 2,000 charities and foundations will be contacted and asked for information about their salary practices and procedures. The effort will include a broader review of foundations that will eventually include examinations of over 400 organizations, and conclude in July 2005.

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Bush Campaign Files Suit to Force FEC to Shut Down 527s

On September 1, President Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to force FEC action on a complaint the Bush campaign had filed last March against Democratic leaning independent political committees. Based on their announcement August 26, Trevor Potter, a campaign reform advocate and former FEC chairman, said he had anticipated the two would file a second suit as well seeking to force stricter regulation of all independent political committees, but they did not.

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FEC Seeks Comments on Electioneering Rule

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has issued a Notice of Availability of a rulemaking petition filed in July that seeks to exempt promotion of political films, books and other materials that refer to federal candidates from the electioneering communications rule. Comments in support or opposition to the proposal are due September 27. During August a federal court turned down Wisconsin Right to Life's (WRLC) request for an injunction that would allow it to run ads mentioning Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI), who is running for re-election.

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Bush Pushes Faith-Based Initiative Without New Authority

The absence of new legislative authority has not deterred the Bush administration from using its executive powers to widely implement its Faith-Based Initiative throughout the federal government. That is the finding of a new report by the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy documents. Among the report's findings:

President Bush has aggressively advanced his Faith-Based Initiative through executive orders, rule changes, and managerial realignment in federal agencies.

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FEC Adopts Rule to Control 527 Political Groups

On August 19, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) adopted a new rule to control nonparty political organizations by making it more difficult for certain independent organizations -- known as 527 groups -- to raise and spend donations in the 2006 election.

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Trends in Nonprofit Employment, Earnings 1990-2004

While employment in the nonprofit sector has fared reasonably well over the last several years, new data suggest that the labor market in this sector has weakened significantly.

This report examines the recent history of employment and compensation trends in the nonprofit sector, from 1990 to 2004. It finds that while the nonprofit sector held up well in the 2001 recession and its recent aftermath, the more recent experience has been troubling. Employment growth has come to a near standstill over the past year. In addition, and perhaps more troubling, there have been declines in average hours worked, weekly earnings, and hourly wages. Data on individual states also confirm the general nationwide pattern. Download full report (.pdf) Download press release (.pdf)

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Falwell Ministries Accused of Partisan Electioneering

In early July Jerry Falwell Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization, posted an endorsement of President George Bush on its website and circulated it via an email newsletter, Falwell Confidential. Both messages included a solicitation of donations and link to a conservative political action committee, the Campaign for Working Families. Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a complaint at the IRS July 15 requesting an investigation.

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