NRB Pleased By Disclose Act's Failure To Pass

Opposes Disclose Act

NATIONAL RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS (NRB) received the news of TUESDAY's (7/17) vote by the SENATE on the DISCLOSE ACT OF 2012 positively.

“I am pleased that the SENATE voted today to waylay the DISCLOSE ACT (S. 3369),” said NRB Pres./CEO Dr. FRANK WRIGHT. “We have seen previous attempts to pass these new, burdensome regulations for non-profit advocacy groups that speak out. This Act not only impedes the First Amendment rights of such groups, including local grass roots organizations, it also puts them in a stranglehold by wrapping them in a maze of red tape and reporting restrictions, and then threatening them with civil and criminal prosecution if they fail to dot an ‘I’ or cross a ‘T’ in the vast reporting duties that are set out in this extensive bill.”

NRB has opposed the various versions of the DISCLOSE ACT, noting that public disclosure of members and donors of organizations that support “controversial” viewpoints or candidates might subject them to threats, harassment, and reprisals.

“The DISCLOSE ACT would throttle the First Amendment freedom of association and free speech rights of not-for-profit groups by forcing disclosure of private information of local activists and donors, creating the potential for harassment and intimidation by bad-faith opponents,” said NRB SVP/General Counsel CRAIG PARSHALL.  “The SUPREME COURT has already noted this civil liberty affront in commenting on the vicious acts of retaliation that were perpetrated against ordinary citizen donors who supported traditional marriage during the Proposition 8 campaign in CALIFORNIA.  Let’s hope that bad bill does not advance any further.”

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