Bill would expand do-not-call law to include text messages

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Telemarketers cannot talk to Wisconsinites who are on the state’s do-not-call list. Now a Republican lawmaker says those sellers shouldn’t be sending text messages either.

State Sen. Van Wangaard of Racine is drafting a bill to include text messages in the no-call law. He says many cell phone customers have to pay for those messages, and shouldn’t be paying for unwanted sales pitches. Wangaard says his bill would bring the law into the 21st century

Democratic Senator Bob Wirch of Pleasant Prairie plans to co-sponsor the measure. Wirch agrees that unwanted text messages are a problem that need to be addressed.

The no-call law has been in place for the better part of a decade. More than 2 million Wisconsinites have landlines and cell phones on the list.

Legality of recall yard signs questioned

Some Wisconsin communities are checking the legality of yard signs that demand the recall of Gov. Scott Walker.

Several of the blue and white signs are in Walker’s own neighborhood in Wauwatosa, as well as other parts of the state.

According to Wisconsin Public Radio, the signs are raising concerns because a recall election has not been scheduled. The state Department of Transportation has a rule that political signs along state highways are only allowed within 45 days of an election, and must be taken down the week after the election. But the DOT suspended enforcement of the rule in 2004 after a federal court ruled that the time limits for the yard signs might limit free speech.

Walker says it doesn’t matter to him whether the recall signs stay up.

Opponents of the law to limit public union bargaining have been pushing all year for a Walker recall. A recall cannot take place until at least January, after Walker has served a year in office.

Democrats say they’re still considering a recall effort. Walker says he takes the threat seriously, but Wisconsin voters are tired of recalls.

Last week, the head of the national AFL-CIO said his union organization was not sure whether it would support the effort. He said the union is focused on re-electing President Obama 14 months from now.

Tags: news, wisconsin, legislature