Wisconsin Raises Fine for Telemarketers

August 13, 2009

A state senate committee of Wisconsin recently unanimously approved a raise in the fine for telemarketers who disobey Wisconsin’s no-call rule. The state’s law requires that any resident who is on the no-call list be left alone by telemarketers. Currently, about 1.7 million households are on the list.

Recently, the law was expanded to cell phones, prompting residents to add more than 670,000 registrations. Violators of this law used to be required to pay a $100 fine. Now, to curb the annoyance of sales calls, the fine has been raised to $1,000 for the first offense. Several organizations, including the Wisconsin Realtors Association and the National Federation of Independent Businesses, have said that they oppose the legislation, because it interferes with their business models.

The bill, having already been approved by a small senate committee, will now move on to the full Senate. If it is passed there, it will move on once more to the State Assembly.