Free Speech Fairness Act would allow pastors to preach without IRS censorship
“Pastors should be free to apply biblical teachings to all areas of life—without edits, audits, or other interference from the IRS. By removing the threat of an IRS investigation and fines, based simply on what a pastor might say from the pulpit, this bill brings the law in line with the First Amendment. It fixes a restriction enacted in 1954 that was never intended to affect churches but has been used to intimidate and silence them ever since. The government can’t base any tax exemption on a requirement that a church or any other non-profit organization self-censor and surrender their constitutionally protected freedom.”
ADF has been actively seeking to end the enforcement of the Johnson Amendment against churches since 2008.
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ABOUT Christiana Kiefer
Christiana Kiefer serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where she is a key member of the Center for Conscience Initiatives. Since joining ADF in 2012, Kiefer has worked to protect women's and girls' sports and has defended the bodily privacy rights of students. She has also worked to protect the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian schools, and Christian ministries to exercise their faith without government interference. Kiefer earned her J.D. in 2010 from Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy, where she graduated first in her class and served as a teaching assistant in criminal law. Also in 2010, Kiefer completed the ADF leadership development program to become a Blackstone Fellow. She is admitted to the state bar of California, the U.S. Supreme Court, and numerous federal district and appellate courts.