Caucus' status raises queries

Knoxville News Sentinel ^ | October 6, 2005 | Tom Humphrey

[TennesseeGirl]

NASHVILLE - The Legislature's Black Caucus has not existed as a nonprofit corporation for 20 years, raising an array of questions that the organization's chairman declined to answer Wednesday. Records at the secretary of state's office show the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators had its corporate charter revoked in 1985 for failure to file required reports.

A document to re-establish the caucus as a legal entity was filed Tuesday, listing Allyson Sneed, executive secretary to caucus Chairman Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, as the incorporator.

"The caucus has been operating as a nonprofit. They are a nonprofit organization," said Sneed. "We just thought we needed to go ahead and take care of getting the paperwork in to make it official."

The caucus has never filed documents with the state's charitable solicitations division as required by state law when an organization is raising money, according to Judy Bond-McKissack, director of the division.

Depending on specifics of the caucus' operation, it may be exempt from filing fund-raising reports as required for most groups, Bond-McKissack said, but the group should have at least filed a document requesting an exemption, and there is no record of such a filing.

It was unclear whether the caucus has ever filed for tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service or whether such a filing is required by federal law.

[TennesseeGirl]

This is coming to light thanks to a FRESHMAN state representative. Which shows why career politicians aren't in our best interest, necessarily. Warning, the Sentinel requires registration to read their stories. The Tennessean (http://www.thetennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=NEWS02) also has articles "Rent Paid by Black Caucus" and "Black Caucus has no Watchdog" does not require registration.

[AppyPappy]

Let's move on /Democrat

[2banana]

Campaign finance laws and tax laws are only for Republicans...