Comment on proposed IRS Rules Targeting Non-profits

The Albuquerque Tea Party recently had a column in the Journal that discussed their targeting by the IRS. The article also noted that new regulations have been proposed which would further clamp down on free speech. Anyone who is concerned about the ability for organizations like the Tea Party and other non-profits to engage in the political and policy debates facing our nation should be concerned and should consider taking a few minutes to comment.

Details on the IRS’s proposed regulations (from the IRS itself) can be found here. More English language information is available from the Center for Competitive Politics which advocates for free speech among these organizations. Lastly and most importantly, comments can be sent to the IRS here. The Rio Grande Foundation has posted the following comments:

The Rio Grande Foundation is a 501c3 non profit think tank based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have the following concerns about the proposed IRS regulations. We are concerned because they are discriminatory as they only applying to 501c4 organizations;
they violate First Amendment rights of citizens and organizations;
the regulations are complicated, complex and will burden small citizens groups;
they ignore the fact that political and lobbying activities ARE for the social welfare and the public good;

The following are things that 501c4 organizations should be allowed to do 365 days a year:

Hold candidate forums and debates;
engage in nonpartisan voter registration;
engage in get-out-the-vote activities;
issue voter guides;
discuss the voting records of incumbents;
engage in grassroots lobbying 365 days per year; and
volunteer programs should NOT be subject to taxation.