[EL] January 29th: Evangelical and Progressive Perspectives on the Need for Clear Rules for Nonprofits

[Emily Peterson-Cassin]

Thought members of this list would be interested in the event below.  Please contact me if you have any questions.

Emily Peterson-Cassin
Bright Lines Project Coordinator
Congress Watch
epetersoncassin at citizen.org<mailto:epetersoncassin at citizen.org>
http://www.brightlinesproject.org/
O: (202) 454-5131    C: (202) 445-1401

A Rising Tide Will Lift All Boats: Evangelical and Progressive Perspectives on the Need for Clear Rules for Nonprofits

Please join the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability, the Center for American Progress, the Alliance Defending Freedom and Public Citizen for a discussion on the need for clarity in the tax rules governing charities and churches, featuring a keynote address from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

Thursday, January 29th, 9 - 11 a.m.
The National Press Club First Amendment Room
529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-rising-tide-lifts-all-boats-evangelical-and-progressive-perspectives-on-the-need-for-clear-rules-tickets-15359787538

Much of the discussion on the topic of changing tax rules for nonprofits has focused on 501(c)(4)s, which are allowed to engage in a certain amount of political campaign-related activity and have become more engaged than ever in our electoral system. But the vague test that currently defines political activity has been criticized by charities and churches for its failure to provide clear guidance on what is permissible and what is not. The panelists will discuss the wide agreement on the need for better authoritative guidance on the topic for nonprofits and will discuss their specific recommendations for such guidance.

Keynote Speaker:

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democratic Senator from Rhode Island
Panelists:

Mike Batts, Chairman of the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, is a CPA and the president and managing partner of Batts Morrison Wales & Lee, an accounting firm dedicated exclusively to serving nonprofit organizations across the United States. He is a former member of the ECFA board and its former chairman. Mr. Batts has more than 30 years of experience serving nonprofit organizations. He is a national speaker and author, having written four books and numerous professional articles on matters related to the nonprofit sector. Mr. Batts was recently inducted by the National Association of Church Business Administration into its Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant professional contributions to the church community.

Alex DeMots is Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at the Center for American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, he served as counsel to Chairman Robert D. Lenhard at the Federal Election Commission. Alex also spent two years as an associate with Trister, Ross, Schadler & Gold, PLLC. Alex is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Michigan.

Ezra Reese is a Partner with Perkins Coie LLP and a member of the Bright Lines Project Drafting Committee.  Ezra focuses his practice on political law and nonprofit tax law. He counsels clients on campaign finance issues for federal and state elected officials, political parties, other political organizations, trade associations and issue organizations. He also represents public charities and nonprofit organizations with respect to Internal Revenue Service restrictions, in particular those regarding lobbying and political activities. He also counsels organizations on issues relating to lobbying disclosure and ethics issues, including the regulation of gifts to and travel by Members of Congress and employees and officials of Executive Branch agencies. He has represented clients before the Federal Election Commission, before the Internal Revenue Service, and in federal court on campaign finance and nonprofit tax issues.

Erik W. Stanley serves as senior legal counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom at its Kansas City Regional Service Center in Kansas, where he heads the Alliance Defending Freedom Pulpit Initiative to empower pastors across the nation to speak freely from their pulpits on all matters of life, including how Scripture and church teaching have application to candidates and elections. He has focused his practice on appellate law, free speech, traditional family values, pro-life, and religious liberty constitutional law. Stanley has filed, briefed, and argued numerous trial and appellate cases on constitutional issues throughout the United States. Stanley graduated from Temple University School of Law in the top five percent of his class and is a member of the Florida, Kansas, and the District of Columbia bars, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous federal district and appellate courts.

The discussion will be moderated by Dan Busby, President of the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability and Lisa Gilbert. director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch.



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