The recent economic woes appear to have chilled spending by many national religious activist groups, but others — including a group that is fighting to preserve traditional marriage — spent even higher amounts despite the lean times, says a report released Monday.
... There has been “churn” and “turnover” in issues over the decades — the “temperance” and “sanctuary” movements are no longer front-page news, while new groups on behalf of post-Hurricane Katrina relief, human trafficking and gay marriage have gained visibility, he said.
One-quarter of the 212 religious activist or lobbying groups are interreligious — 54 either represent multiple faiths or advocate without specifying a particular religion.
... Those who spent more in 2009 than in 2008 included the National Organization for Marriage, a national opponent of gay marriage, which saw its spending rise 161 percent, from $3.2 million in 2008 to $8.5 million in 2009. Other groups that ramped up spending in 2009 included the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ($1.3 million), Muslim American Society ($898,681) and CitizenLink, which is affiliated with Focus on the Family ($865,899).
WaTimes: Marriage Activists Ramp Up Spending
November 28, 2011 at 9:00 am
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