NRSC - Shaheen, Schumer Led Charge Calling on the IRS to Investigate Conservative Groups

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democrats, led by Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Jeanne Shaheen, Carl Levin, Max Baucus, and Al Franken pressured the IRS to target many of the conservative groups that the embattled agency now stands accused of doing. The Senate Democrat majority even went so far as to threaten to take legislative action against the agency if it failed to target the groups. Perhaps that's why Jeanne Shaheen is today feigning outrage.

Chuck Schumer and Jeanne Shaheen led the charge, calling on the IRS to investigate many of these conservative groups.

The New York Times reported back in 2010:

“With growing scrutiny of the role of tax-exempt groups in political campaigns, Congressional Republicans are pushing back against Democrats by warning about the possible misuse of the Internal Revenue Service to audit conservative groups….And the Republicans are also upset about an I.R.S. review requested by Senator Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat who leads the Finance Committee, into the political activities of tax-exempt groups. Such a review threatens to "chill the legitimate exercise of First Amendment rights," wrote two Republican senators, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Jon Kyl of Arizona, in a letter sent to the I.R.S. ... Democrats dismissed the Republicans' complaints as groundless.”

"Two years ago, Democrats dismissed concerns over misuse of the IRS to audit conservative groups as groundless," said NRSC Communications Director Brad Dayspring. "Why did the IRS target these people?  Because Jeanne Shaheen and Chuck Schumer pressured them to. Today, Shaheen is pretending to be outraged by her OWN actions." 

The pressure grew so immense that the New York Times reported: “The Internal Revenue Service is caught in an election-year struggle between Democratic lawmakers pressing for a crackdown on nonprofit political groups and conservative organizations accusing the tax agency of conducting a politically charged witch hunt.”

Why did the IRS target conservative groups?  According to the New York Times, because Senate Democrats like Jeanne Shaheen directed and pressured them to.

Governor Hassan to Read to Strafford School Students to Mark Read Across America, Meet "Kids Against Bullying"

Office of New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan

STRAFFORD – Governor Maggie Hassan will read to Strafford School students from all grades as part of the culminating event of the school’s Celebrate Reading Day for Read Across America.

In its 16th year, Read Across America is the National Education Association’s signature program, designed to build a nation of readers by motivating children and teens to read by organizing events, creating partnerships, and providing reading resources. Strafford School marks Read Across America with Celebrate Reading Day, when students are given a book, have guest readers in their classrooms, and participate in “Stop, Drop, and Read” times throughout the school day.

After reading to students, the Governor will meet the school’s nationally recognized Kids Against Bullying group. Kids Against Bullying is a group of sixth, seventh and eighth graders who aim to reduce or eliminate bullying through raising awareness and educating people. In December 2012, the group won second place in the bullying prevention nonprofit organization Hey U.G.L.Y.’s video contest.

WHAT:          Governor Hassan to Read to Strafford School Students to Mark Read Across America, Meet “Kids Against Bullying” Group

WHEN:          Tuesday, March 12, 9:30 AM

WHERE:       Gymnasium, Strafford School, 22 Rollercoaster Road, Strafford

Alliance for School Choice Establishes Legal Defense Fund For Louisiana Private Schools Accepting Scholarship Students

Fund will defend schools against threatening bullying tactics from Louisiana Association of Educators

BATON ROUGE, LA (July 31, 2012)—The Alliance for School Choice and the Institute for Justice today announced the creation of the Louisiana Defense Fund in response to a letter last week from the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) that threatened to sue private schools that participate in the state’s newly expanded school choice program.

The Alliance—the leading national organization promoting and implementing school choice programs nationwide—was joined by the Institute for Justice (IJ)—the nation’s leading legal advocates for school choice—in announcing the creation of the defense fund to protect Louisiana schools against legal threats from the local teachers union.

Rather than work to improve failing and underperforming schools across the state, earlier this month, the Louisiana Association of Educators sent letters threatening to sue private schools that accept public school students using government scholarships under Act 2, Governor Bobby Jindal’s innovative effort to improve elementary and secondary education in Louisiana by giving parents more choices in educating their children.

In letters sent on or around July 25, 2012, to private schools across state, the LAE asserted that if private schools accept students using scholarships provided by Act 2, the LAE “will have no alternative other than to institute litigation” against each school. The letters state that the LAE will “take whatever means necessary” to prevent the private schools from accepting students using the scholarship funds.

In response to the unprecedented tactic from the teachers union, the Alliance hired Barry W. Ashe of the New Orleans-based law firm Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann, LLC, to defend the school choice program's implementation. In a letter to participating schools today, the Alliance made clear that the LAE has no legal claim against the private schools, and if the union tries to bring a claim, the costs necessary to defend the litigation will be paid out of the defense fund.

Kevin P. Chavous, a senior advisor to the Alliance, said that the establishment of the defense fund is a message to schools across the state that reformers will stand up in the face of intimidation tactics from special interests.

“We’re not only standing with the schools of Louisiana,” Chavous said, “but most importantly, we’re standing with the thousands of parents all across the state who deserve the opportunity to choose the best educational environment for their children.”

“The unions and their allies have been losing in court and are now resorting to threats in a transparent attempt to minimize the exodus from failing schools they no doubt see coming. The bottom line here is that the unions’ threats are groundless,” said Institute for Justice Attorney Bill Maurer. “And the fund means private schools can stay the course, welcome in children from across the state, and give them the kind of high-quality education the union-dominated educational establishment has proven itself incapable of delivering up until now without having to worry about the cost of defending themselves from a frivolous suit.”

“Organizations that continue to bring baseless challenges against this program's implementation should be ashamed of themselves,” said Eddie Rispone, chairman of the Louisiana Federation for Children, a partner organization of the Alliance for School Choice. “In the end, we’re confident that the kids and their families will prevail.”

The Department of Education announced the extension of 5,637 scholarship offers to students to participate in the program this fall—just a portion of the 10,300 applications the Department received—illustrating that attempts to stop schools from participating in the program are at odds with extremely strong demand from parents.

The trial to determine the constitutionality of the program is set to begin on October 15 in Baton Rouge.

This release is available to read online here.

www.allianceforschoolchoice.org

American Federation for Children Condemns Teachers Union Bullying of Louisiana Schools

I just wanted to make sure you saw the pretty remarkable news concerning lawsuit threats from the Louisiana Association of Educators' against individual voucher schools if they did not drop out of the program. We wrote a release about it yesterday -- please see below.

And as I'm sure you've seen, The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge had a pretty direct -- and telling -- front page this morning. You can take a look at it here.

 

If you have any questions about the story or would like comment from the reform angle, please feel free to contact me. My information, both email and phone, are below. Thanks!

Malcom Glenn

National Director of Communications

American Federation for Children

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As low-income families access scholarships, threat from union lawyers aims to hurt thousands of families statewide

BATON ROUGE, LA (July 26, 2012)—The American Federation for Children—the nation’s voice for school choice—today condemned the actions of the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE), after counsel for the teachers union yesterday sent threatening letters to schools participating in Louisiana’s statewide voucher program, urging them to drop out of the program or face a lawsuit from the union.

The letter comes despite a judge’s ruling two weeks ago that dismissed a union attempt to get an injunction stopping the program.

In the letter, which was faxed to participating voucher schools yesterday evening, a law firm retained by the LAE union threatens to initiate litigation against individual schools if they do not pledge—in writing—by 4 p.m. local time tomorrow to cease participation in the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence (SSEE) program.

Kevin P. Chavous, a senior advisor to the Federation, denounced the bullying tactics as a remarkably cruel attempt to block children from attending the schools their parents have chosen for them.

“It’s despicable that adults would use the threat of legal action to stop schools from accepting students who desperately want a better education, thereby squashing their dreams and those of their parents,” Chavous said. “Even by standards of the typical special interest bullying tactics, this is an unbelievably demeaning and insulting action that aims ultimately to hurt the futures of thousands of children.”

The threatening letters to schools on behalf of LAE are in contrast with the strong demand for the program. LAE’s actions came just a day after the Department of Education announced the extension of 5,637 scholarship offers to students to participate in the program this fall—just a portion of the 10,300 applications the Department received—illustrating that any attempts to stop schools from participating in the program are at odds with the demand from parents.

Of the initial scholarship offers, 84 percent of students in first through 12th grade attended a school rated “D” or “F” by the state last year.

An accountability proposal from the department was also approved by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) on Tuesday, further strengthening the program prior to yesterday’s bullying letters.

Chavous, a former D.C. City Council member who has also worked for years to reform education in Louisiana, reiterated that the recent LAE move was unprecedented in its callousness.

“Personal power should never, ever be put ahead of the best interest of disadvantaged children,” Chavous said. “These union leaders have no shame.”

Read this release online here.

Lamontagne Statement supporting Jack Gilchrist

Manchester, NH - Ovide Lamontagne, Republican candidate for Governor, released the following statement in support of Hudson, New Hampshire businessman Jack Gilchrist and calling on Sen. Hassan and Sen. Cilley to condemn the harassment against Mr. Gilchrist:

"I was disturbed to learn in a Union Leader report this morning that Hudson small businessman Jack Gilchrist, owner of Gilchrist Metal Fabricating, has been subjected to harassment and threats by email and phone over the past several days.  These attacks have occurred simply because Jack had the courage to express his opinion about President Obama’s recent ‘you didn’t build that’ remarks, in which the President indicated that small business owners owe their success to government, not their own hard work.  

"I am proud to call Jack a supporter of my campaign, and I am proud to stand with him today.  He and his family have played by the rules, paid their taxes, and built a company that for nearly 40 years has provided good jobs for numerous New Hampshire families.  They should be rewarded for their success and held up as a model for what hard work and dedication can create.  Instead, in a desperate attempt to distract from failed economic policies and recent gaffes, supporters of President Obama are seeking to tear Jack down.  This is outrageous, and this harassment must stop. I am calling upon Senator Hassan and Senator Cilley to join me in condemning these attacks on Jack, his business and his family.

"Campaigns must be about the candidates, their records, their experience, their competing visions on the role of government, not tearing down those who may disagree with you."