It may speak to the slog that is Wisconsin politics that Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton introduced legislation to include cell phone numbers on the state's Do Not Call List ... three years ago.
Erpenbach continues to make the call, and it appears the state Legislature finally might pick up.
The state Senate last week voted unanimously to approve a bill Erpenbach sponsored that not only would add cell phones to the no-call registry, but also would require telemarketers to honor requests made by customers over the phone to stop calling. And it would increase the fine paid by telemarketers who intentionally call people who are on the list from $100 to $1,000.
The bill now should be passed by the state Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle.
The state's popular No Call List does not now apply to mobile phones, only to land-line phones. As cell phone use becomes more widespread for individuals and businesses, it would be wise for the state to provide residents the same protection from telemarketers no matter what kind of phone they are using. And while telemarketing calls aren't nearly as commonplace on cell phones as they are on land-line phones, don't for a second believe that it won't happen.
Erpenbach's bill is a good preventative measure.
The $1,000 penalty is enough to provide an incentive for telemarketers to comply with the law. The bill previously called for a $10,000 fine. That, while certainly an incentive, was excessive. And a provision to include fax machines on the registry also has been dropped.
An argument made in a guest commentary in Monday's Times by state Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, is a curious one. While she voted for the No Call List expansion last week, Lazich cautioned against residents adding their cell phone numbers to the list once the law is passed. Doing so, she said, will put cell phone numbers out for consumption where they would not otherwise be. That, she said, will open the door for "unscrupulous entities and foreign, international entities" to get and use your number. "Your best bet is to avoid registering your cell phone," Lazich wrote.
That sounds more like a politician appealing to two interests - one the public that does not want to be bothered by telemarketing calls, and the other being the telemarketing industry that doesn't want to be blocked access to cell phones.
Lazich also wrote that "national associations representing telemarketers have stated that their clients do not intend to start calling consumers' cell phones."
Right. Anybody buying it?
There is no good reason for lawmakers not to support adding cell phones to the no-call registry, or for consumers to add their numbers once the law is passed. The Assembly should pass the bill, and the governor should sign it.
Erpenbach continues to make the call, and it appears the state Legislature finally might pick up.
The state Senate last week voted unanimously to approve a bill Erpenbach sponsored that not only would add cell phones to the no-call registry, but also would require telemarketers to honor requests made by customers over the phone to stop calling. And it would increase the fine paid by telemarketers who intentionally call people who are on the list from $100 to $1,000.
The bill now should be passed by the state Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle.
The state's popular No Call List does not now apply to mobile phones, only to land-line phones. As cell phone use becomes more widespread for individuals and businesses, it would be wise for the state to provide residents the same protection from telemarketers no matter what kind of phone they are using. And while telemarketing calls aren't nearly as commonplace on cell phones as they are on land-line phones, don't for a second believe that it won't happen.
Erpenbach's bill is a good preventative measure.
The $1,000 penalty is enough to provide an incentive for telemarketers to comply with the law. The bill previously called for a $10,000 fine. That, while certainly an incentive, was excessive. And a provision to include fax machines on the registry also has been dropped.
An argument made in a guest commentary in Monday's Times by state Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, is a curious one. While she voted for the No Call List expansion last week, Lazich cautioned against residents adding their cell phone numbers to the list once the law is passed. Doing so, she said, will put cell phone numbers out for consumption where they would not otherwise be. That, she said, will open the door for "unscrupulous entities and foreign, international entities" to get and use your number. "Your best bet is to avoid registering your cell phone," Lazich wrote.
That sounds more like a politician appealing to two interests - one the public that does not want to be bothered by telemarketing calls, and the other being the telemarketing industry that doesn't want to be blocked access to cell phones.
Lazich also wrote that "national associations representing telemarketers have stated that their clients do not intend to start calling consumers' cell phones."
Right. Anybody buying it?
There is no good reason for lawmakers not to support adding cell phones to the no-call registry, or for consumers to add their numbers once the law is passed. The Assembly should pass the bill, and the governor should sign it.
