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Federal Court Upholds Indiana Robocall Ban

Indiana law restricts autodialed phone calls.
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Indiana law restricts autodialed phone calls.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A federal court says an Indiana law banning robocalls can bar political calls without violating the First Amendment.

Indiana law bars anyone from making autodialed phone calls with just three exceptions – schools sending messages to parents, students and employees, employers calling workers about their schedule, or callers that have an existing relationship with a subscriber.

A political group, Patriotic Veterans, wanted to send robocalls to Hoosiers informing them about where candidates and lawmakers stand on veterans’ issues. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller sought to stop them.

A federal judge sided with Zoeller.

The judge says the law doesn’t violate freedom of speech because the ban doesn’t single-out political calls and that the government has a compelling interest to protect Hoosiers’ privacy.

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state.
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