Disqus - Latest Comments for psimonson

Re: Bingaman, Udall want to reform the PATRIOT Act

psimonson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:11:16 -0000

This is welcome news. Sen. Udall has been a champion of reforming the USA Patriot Act since the bill originally passed in October, 2001. The ACLU applauds both his and Sen. Bingaman's leadership on this vital issue.

Re: Disenfranchisement comes for the archbishop

Brigette_Russell — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:07:46 -0000

Thanks for the kind words. As the the Church lobbying out of its 501(c)(3), it's not as if the Church was spending money taking out ads and so forth against the death penalty. Archbishop Sheehan and other members of the clergy went to the statehouse to lobby personally, wrote letters and made phone calls -- much as you or I or any other citizen is free to do, no matter what church or organization they may belong to.

Re: Disenfranchisement comes for the archbishop

psimonson — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:43:46 -0000

Brigette you sum up the issues nicely. The Archdiocese is no more restricted in how they lobby the legislature than is our organization, the ACLU. Indeed, we may not agree with their positions all the time, but we would defend their free speech right to voice those opinions.

Things get a little muddier around strictures imposed by the tax codes. Assuming the church lobbies out of its 501(c)(3), it can devote only a minor portion of its funding to lobbying activities. If it exceeds that amount (and that all depends on the size of its budget and whether it has made certain elections available to it under the federal tax code), then the church could be in violation of its tax status. But that's for the IRS to decide, not a court (at least in the first place).

Re: Bill to ban mixed martial arts called “a slap in the face” to New Mexico

psimonson — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:08:17 -0000

This bill may well be unconstitutional.

Re: Caging the vote?

psimonson — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:19:20 -0000

The ACLU was not involved in the case challenging the Las Cruces seal.