Title: Lutherans Oppose Restrictions in Campaign Finance Reform ELCA NEWS SERVICE April 9, 1998 LUTHERANS OPPOSE RESTRICTIONS IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM 98-13-079-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is on record as a strong supporter of campaign finance reform. Title I is not reform," the Rev. Russell O. Siler, director of the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs in Washington, D.C., wrote March 24 to members of the U.S. House of Representatives. "We strongly oppose the oppressive restrictions on nonprofit advocacy contained in Title I of H.R. 3485, the Campaign Reform and Election Integrity Act." While the bill does not mention religious organizations by name, it would affect organizations covered under Section 501 of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, which includes religious organizations. The legislation would require such organizations to send annual reports to each of their members with specific plans for "political activities" in the next year, including an estimate of how much each member will spend on those activities and a form to bar the organization from spending that amount for the projected activities. The bill would prohibit "501 organizations" from spending any more than the projected dollars minus the total indicated on returned forms. The legislation would also change the IRS definition of "political activities" from influencing elections and legislative processes to include any activity that may influence a federal regulation. The ELCA supports current laws which prohibit all nonprofits, including religious organizations, from partisan political activity, said Siler. "At the same time, our church holds to the principle that it is our responsibility and our right to speak out on public policy matters, especially as they affect the most vulnerable people in our society." "The history of our nation is filled with countless illustrations of nonprofit organizations, both religious and secular, that have helped shape the policies which affect our citizens," wrote Siler. Title I "would do untold harm to the cooperative partnership of service, education and public policy development now functioning in our society." "At times our voices have been in opposition to proposals or actions, but most often we have worked in partnership with governments at all levels," he said. "The provisions of Title I would not only stifle those voices, but would impinge dangerously on the churches' constitutional right to determine how to conduct their internal affairs." The House Oversight Committee approved the campaign finance legislation March 18. The committee's chairman, Rep. William Thomas (R-Calif. 21st), authored the new nonprofit provision. "If this legislation stands, every one of us will be muzzled on public policy," the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., wrote March 20 to church leaders. She suggested Title I was "cleverly attached to an issue we care about, campaign finance reform," to give legislators an excuse to vote against the measure. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html