A ban on late-night political phone calls wins bipartisan support

DES MOINES - A ban on late-night political phone calls won bipartisan support from the House State Government Committee, but a Democratic member called it “nothing more than Code clutter.”

House File 12 that would ban political calls between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. has too many holes, said Rep. Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids. That's because it doesn't limit federal campaigns, political action committees and political groups known as 527s that are not regulated by state law.

Only those campaigns and political groups that are regulated by the state Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board would be affected by the proposal.

“It sounds like we're regulating the scrupulous instead of the unscrupulous,” Taylor said.

HF 12, floor manager Lee Heim, R-Monticello said, was a “simple bill” and he didn't want to make it too broad.

The measure would ban any call - automated or by a live person - between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. that is “intended to urge the recipient to expressly advocate the election or defeat of a candidate or the passage or defeat of a ballot issue.”

Rep. Chuck Isenhart, D-Dubuque, suggested requiring all political phone calls include a “paid for by” disclaimer similar to the requirement for other forms of political advertising. Voters, he said want to know who is responsible for the calls they get.

He proposed each call clearly identify the name of the caller, who is paying for the call and the name and telephone number of the person responsible for the call.

It was defeated on a party-line vote.

The bill goes to the full House. Heim called it a “work in progress” and said he was willing to work with Isenhart to improve it.