Tag: Disclosure Digest

  • Federal judge set to hear arguments in challenge to San Francisco donor disclosure rules

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    On Feb. 14, Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California will hear arguments in a challenge to donor disclosure requirements that San Francisco voters approved in 2019. Who are the parties to the suit? The plaintiffs are “Yes on Prop B,” a committee advocating for the passage of…

  • Federal judge upholds Santa Fe donor disclosure law

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    On Jan. 29, Judge Judith Herrera, of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, upheld a Santa Fe city ordinance requiring entities spending $250 or more to advocate for or against ballot propositions to disclose their donors. Who are the parties to the suit? The plaintiff is the Rio Grande Foundation (RGF),…

  • Three states consider bills barring public agencies from requiring donor information from 501(c)s

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    Iowa, Oklahoma, and Tennessee are considering legislation that would bar public agencies from requiring 501(c) nonprofit entities to provide them with personal information about their donors. The bills share identical definitions of “public agencies” and “personal information.” They also assign the same penalties for noncompliance. “Public agency” definition: any state or local governmental entity. “Personal…

  • A look at donor disclosure requirements for electioneering communications

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    As the year gets underway, and lawmakers nationwide take up bills on donor disclosure, let’s take a closer look at a particular policy area: donor disclosure requirements for groups that sponsor electioneering communications. Broadly speaking, an electioneering communication is any broadcast, cable, or satellite transmission that refers to a clearly identified candidate within a specified…

  • Donor disclosure legislation in 2019: the year in review

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    This month, legislative sessions in 37 states either have convened or will convene. Another six will convene in February. But before we embark on our weekly journey through the 2020 legislative sessions, let’s take a look back on 2019. Legislatures in 33 states considered 74 donor disclosure bills in 2019. New York led the way…

  • Two nonprofit groups challenge Rhode Island donor disclosure law

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    On Nov. 21, 2019, two nonprofit groups – the Gaspee Project and the Illinois Opportunity Project – filed suit in U.S. District Court, alleging that a Rhode Island law requiring issue advocacy groups to disclose personal information about their donors to the public violates donors’ free-speech and privacy rights. Who are the parties to the…