IRS Reminds SD Churches to Keep Political Distance

The line between religion and politics might become more blurry in South Dakota if a challenge to a law banning nearly all abortions makes it to the November ballot. The Internal Revenue Service is warning religious leaders that stepping over that line this election year could jeopardize a church's tax-exempt status. The agency promises stricter enforcement of rules against religious groups endorsing or intervening in election campaigns.

But what qualifies as illegal politicking under IRS rules is not clear, and some Sioux Falls-area church officials maintain that the restrictions apply to individual candidates and not to issues such as abortion. Some religious leaders say they probably will encourage their congregations to vote to uphold the abortion ban.

"I don't think there's any mystery about what the church's position is on abortion, so I'm certain we will be involved," Jerry Klein, chancellor of the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese, said. "How, we haven't decided." [snip] RapidCity Journal