Rep. Rick Johnson, D-Jefferson County, proposed a bill that would prohibit industries, such as Realtors and insurance agents, who are licensed by the state, responding to a referal or working from home from calling potential clients to set up an appointment. If the new law were adopted, the caller must have an established business realtionship with the recipient of the call.

Lobbyists representing the Realtors Association, insurance agents, accountants and the telephone companies testified in opposition to the bill.

The Attorney General's office that handles no-call complaints reported more than 32,000 complaints since the law went into effect July 2001. There are an average of 50 complaints per day, according to the Attorney General's staff who enforces the law. Get the newspaper story.