8-15 Do Not Call Lists May Merge

A Wisconsin Assembly committee is scheduled to vote in two weeks on a bill to end the state’s do-not-call list for telemarketers, and merge it with the national no-call list. Among other things, it would mean that Wisconsinites would no longer have to re-register for the no-call list once every two years. That’s because the national no-call list has people sign up permanently. Assembly Republican Keith Ripp says it’s redundant to have two no-call lists and the measure could save 190-thousand dollars a year. Sandy Chalmers of the Consumer Protection Bureau says the money could be used for added enforcement against violators. Senate Democrat Jon Erpenbach of Middleton, who first proposed the state’s no-call list, says there might be a problem with statewide announcements that Wisconsinites with out-of-state area codes would still receive, even if they’re on the list. Jim Dick of the Consumer Protection agency says a publicity campaign could help alleviate that concern.