Bill seeks to restrict robo calls

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, May, 2008 | by Amy Worden Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG - In the days leading up to Pennsylvania's presidential primary, Democratic voters' phone lines lit up with calls from the candidates. Or, more likely, from their automated surrogates. And that did not make many voters happy. After the state's most-watched primary election in modern memory, the Senate has passed a bill that would curb the use of robo calls for political purposes.

The bill, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware), would create a do-not-call list - much like the one already in existence for telemarketers - for automated calls in political campaigns. "I don't think there's anyone with a phone in Pennsylvania that did not receive multiple robo calls" during the run-up to the April 22 primary election," Pileggi said. "I...