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Advocacy Blog
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Alabama Senate Passes Nonprofit Accountability Bill
Over the objections of the Christian Coalition, the Alabama Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would require organizations to disclose their donors when they run issue ads during election seasons in Alabama.
Political action committees, which contribute to candidates and run ads urging the support or defeat of a candidate, already have to disclose their donors. The bill targets the use of ads by nonprofit organizations that criticize a candidate, but stop short of telling people to vote against the candidate. 501(c)(3)s can criticize an office holder, but Federal rules prohibit increased activity during election season. It also prohibits organizations from advocating for or against a candidate.
The bill's lone opposition stated that Federal rules already bar the actions that this bill proports to prevent.
According to the bill's sponsor, "They don't ever enforce that."
Hm. Maybe he should check with the 60 organizations currently being investigated by the IRS for doing just that.
A report by the IG of the IRS on Election Activities by Tax-Exempt Orgs
Also, latest Watcher on the report.
See also the Decatur Daily article!
Posted by Jennifer Lowe
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