Bill would allow churches to lobby

A bill introduced in Congress would allow churches to spend 20 percent of their money on lobbying and up to 5 percent on campaigning for or against individual candidates without risk of losing their tax-exempt status.

Rep. Phil Crane, R-Ill., introduced the “Bright-Line Act of 2001,” which clarifies how much churches can engage in political activities.

Currently, churches are allowed to push political causes as long as such activities do not constitute a “substantial” part of the congregation’s work- widely interpreted to be about 5 percent.

The bill was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

The proposal is indirectly related to a bill sponsored by Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C. The Jones bill is less specific but would also allow churches and other houses of worship to engage in political activities without losing their tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Crane spokesman Randy Skoglund said the bill “makes clear to churches and government what actions a church can take.”

Skoglund added the bill also takes the decision out of the hands of the IRS and judges.

While the Crane bill has the support of the Traditional Values Coalition, it is opposed by a leading Washington watchdog group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Its executive director, Barry Lynn, said he opposes this bill because it would “corrupt” churches by turning them into “political action committees.”