Anti-Robo Call Legislation to Be Introduced in VA

By: PM
Published On: 11/19/2006 8:24:47 PM

Bob Brink, representing Arlington in the House of Delegates, will introduce anti-robo call legislation. 

http://www.connectio...

Brink: No More Robo-Calls

Virginia State Delegate Bob Brink (D-48) announced last week that he will introduce legislation next year outlawing automated telephone campaign pitches, known as GÇ£robo-calls.GÇ¥

The unsolicited phone messages have now become a way for campaigns to harass voters and spread misleading information about political opponents, Brink said.

GÇ£Many of us have had our family meals or leisure time interrupted by annoying pre-recorded campaign calls,GÇ¥ Brink said. GÇ£For some people, these have crossed over the line from mere nuisances to real threats to their wellbeing.GÇ¥
During the campaign season voters in Virginia reported receiving calls purporting to give information about a candidate, with the message only disclosing at the end that it actually is a negative call paid for by the opposition party. Others have reported that they received the same pre-recorded call many times in a row.
The Federal GÇ£Do Not CallGÇ¥ law prohibits unsolicited calls to numbers that have been entered on a master list, but contains an exemption for political calls. BrinkGÇÖs bill would be modeled on an Indiana law that places broad restrictions on automated calls, including political campaign messages, within that state.

This is Brink's website:  http://www.bobbrink....


Comments



This will be an interesting one (pitin - 11/20/2006 2:42:28 AM)
Robo-calls have a history of leading to shenanigans, I for one hope that this bill will become law.

Although it does seem to benefit incumbents more as they already have name rec, and it is a very cheap way for challengers to get their name out there.



Free Speech? (Andrea Chamblee - 11/20/2006 4:56:34 PM)
There's probably a free speech element here, but certainly the callers should state IN THE FIRST SENTENCE who is paying for the calls. As of now, they wait till the end of the call, inviting them to lie and hoping you will hang up before waiting for the name of the REAL sponsor.

I heard Tom Davis hid behind another organization to make robocalls this year. The call came repeatedly with "some important information for you about Andy Hurst...pause..."  They chose very early and very late hours, and repeated calls to the same numbers, to maximize the annoyance.  You can bet their marketing people made damn sure callers would think the call was an annoying trick from Team Hurst. A lot of people would hang up before hearing the rest of the message, concluding that Hurst was harassing them.
The NRCC did this nationwide, see here. If you got a call like this, please email d7eb@aol.com who is consolidating complaints.

If they had to say who sponsored the calls before they said anything else, you can bet they would not want to "own" these annoying calls. 



I'm not opposed to robocalls... (Pain - 11/20/2006 5:24:20 PM)
...but I think they should be about the candidate, not the opponents.  I actually got interested in the primary this year because I got a robocall from John Kerry about Jim Webb.  If it wasn't for that I may not have voted in the primary and it certainly jumpstarted my involvement in the general election.

With that said, all these negative calls and shady practices [including the 'Steele and Ehrlich Democrats' fliers that were used in Maryland] should be investigated and eliminated, with some stiff fines and possible jail time.  Do the perp walk for these clowns.



What If You've Signed Up for the FTC's Do Not Call List? (PM - 11/20/2006 6:44:35 PM)
Personally, I think right of privacy in your home should trump robo calls.  I'm on the "DNC" list, and wish that Congress would change the federal law so political calls were added to the list.  I believe such legislation is already in the works.


I'm on the DNC list also. (Pain - 11/20/2006 7:42:54 PM)
I still don't have an issue with robocalls, but to be honest with you I usually don't answer my phone. Getting political calls for a few weeks a year is not the same as getting several calls a day, every day, but that's just my opinion. I happened to hear the robocall from John Kerry that I mentioned above, so I listened to it, but usually I just ignore the phone and check messages.

But, I can understand people not wanting to get called and that's fine.  I don't think I would personally support eliminating the calls completely, but as I said, there needs to be some changes to what is allowed/legal.



Anti Robo Call Legislation (mosquitopest - 11/21/2006 2:17:10 PM)
Thank heavens this bill is going forward.

It will be "interesting" to see what legislators line up "against" this bill thatt enjoys immense popular support among Virginia's citiznes.

Buzz...Buzz...