Home > Blog > Browse Blog
BLOG
Issue Advocacy
ACLU weighs in against DISCLOSE Act
Published on July 23, 2010 05:42 PM
Category: Disclosure, Expenditure, Issue Advocacy
The American Civil Liberties Union today sent to the U.S. Senate a letter urging them to vote against the DISCLOSE Act when it comes up for a vote next week (or at least is scheduled to). A few of the key points raised by the letter: 1. The DISCLOSE Act fails to preserve the anonymity of small donors, thereby especially chilling the expression rights of those who support controversial causes. ...Anonymity is important to many supporters of organizations that advocate for both
Waiting for Rules Committee? Like waiting for Godot . . .
Published on June 17, 2010 03:16 PM
Category: First Amendment, Independent Speech, Issue Advocacy
Reports are that the House Rules Committee meeting set today to craft the rule for considering the DISCLOSE Act has been postponed -- again. At some point, one must stop bailing water and abandon the ship. Grab your life jackets.
Expenditures, Rachel Maddow and the Anti-Saloon League!
Published on June 16, 2010 11:08 AM
Category: First Amendment, Independent Speech, Issue Advocacy, Political Committees & 527s
Anybody acquainted at all with my work mus know how gleefully I responded to this segment from the Rachel Maddow show. While I haven't yet read Last Call, the book touted in the segment, I've read a number of other works on the Anti-Saloon League and their relentless advocacy of Prohibition at the state and national levels. We should all remember one factor that made their fight especially powerful. The Anti-Saloon League touted itself as a public education organization. It fought against attem
Roundup – Granite State protects First Amendment while “transparency” mongers negotiate DISCLOSE in
Published on June 2, 2010 06:05 PM
Category: Independent Speech, Issue Advocacy
Late today came two developments that fans of the First Amendment should care about. In the Live Free or Die State, the New Hampshire House of Representatives quickly shot down a bill that represented a serious assault on the First Amendment and political speech. The bill was approved by the New Hampshire Senate earlier today and would have required corporations to get the approval of their boards of directors before speaking, and also forced them to register with the state. Pe
Lies, Common Cause Letters, and Statistics: Common Cause Attacks McConnell on Kagan
Published on May 21, 2010 12:45 AM
Category: First Amendment, Independent Speech, Issue Advocacy, Other
Common Cause President Bob Edgar is inflamed because Senator Mitch McConnell "recently said in a Senate floor speech that it is the 'position of the Solicitor General and her office' that the federal government has the power to 'ban books.'" Not true! claims Mr. Edgar. "[T]his sort of inflammatory language grossly misrepresents General Kagan's position." Does it? Let's start with Ms. Kagan's office. Here is the relevant part of the transcript of the oral argument in
CCP's analysis of the DISCLOSE Act
Published on April 23, 2010
Steve Hoersting, Sean Parnell, Jeff Patch
Category: Coordination, Disclosure, Independent Speech, Issue Advocacy
At last, there's a clear indication that congressional leaders plan to unveil their bill to supposedly increase disclosure in campaign finance after Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Chris Van Hollen have been crafting the bill behind closed doors since February, when they released a framework for action.In what appears to be a targeted leak from Democratic aides to Roll Call, The Hill and The Washington Post, leadership staffers said they plan to delay
The Shoddy Scholarship and Intellectual Ignorance of Ruth Marcus
Published on January 23, 2010 10:45 AM
Category: Contributions & Limits, Independent Speech, Issue Advocacy, Jurisprudence & Litigation
In today's Washington Post, under the headline "The High Court's Shoddy Scholarship," Ruth Marcus accuses the Citizens United majority of, well, "shoddy scholarship," and also "stunning... intellectual dishonesty." I won't accuse Ms. Marcus of "intellectual dishonesty" herself, because I know Ms. Marcus a bit and don't think she is intellectually dishonest. But I do attribute her column to intellectual ignorance. Let's look at her accusations, one by one, below the fold...
Wisconsin state Sen. disregards First Amendment again
Published on January 19, 2010 05:14 PM
Category: Independent Speech, Issue Advocacy
Ah, the "reformers" are at it again in Wisconsin. Today the state Senate passed SB 43, a bill that requires groups involved in issue advocacy to disclose their private donors.See CCP's press release for complete details. CCP also sent a letter to the Wisconsin Assembly, where this bill now heads, urging members to reject this attempt to intimidate donors to advocacy groups in Wisconsin. Supporters of the bill, such as the lobbyist for Common Cause Wisconsin, have fallen back on tired talking po
IJ back in court to challenge Colo. campaign finance laws
Published on November 18, 2009 11:31 AM
Category: Disclosure, Independent Speech, Issue Advocacy, Jurisprudence & Litigation
The Institute for Justice is in court today, representing six neighbors in Parker North, Colo. in their challenge of Colorado's restrictive campaign finance laws. The case is before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. IJ Senior Attorney Steve Simpson is arguing the case. The neighbors, who opposed annexation of their homes into a nearby town, were sued by a political opponent for violating Colorado's campaign finance law sby not registering as an "issue committee." The group was for
Rep. Woolsey threatens church with IRS investigation
Published on November 10, 2009 02:50 AM
Category: Issue Advocacy, Lobbying
Politico published an "Ideas" piece from Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California yesterday. The co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Congress attacked the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for daring to express an opinion on legislation and urge their members to express their opinions to their lawmakers. She urged an IRS investigation into the tax-exempt group's political activity.
