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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:  September 24, 2003
Contact Person:  Pamela A. Bonrud
Phone Number:  605-773-3201

PUC WANTS DO-NOT-LIST TO GO FORWARD

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission wants quick action to allow the state and national Do-Not-Call Lists to go into effect as scheduled on October 1.

"People want relief from telemarketing calls," said PUC Chair Bob Sahr. "We are hopeful this ruling will be reversed.  If the courts won't act, we are urging the South Dakota congressional delegation to pursue legislation to fix this technical glitch."

"More than 140,000 South Dakota phones and 50 million American phones have been registered," said PUC Vice Chair Gary Hanson. "The American people have spoken loudly and clearly that they are tired of these calls."

"We'll do everything we can to make sure the mealtime and family time interruptions stop as soon as possible," said Commissioner Jim Burg.  &quo ; ' frustrating to have a good thing like the Do-Not-Call List delayed on a technicality."

The PUC noted the court said that the wrong federal agency implemented the law, not that a do-not-call list was illegal. If the Federal Communications Commission, instead of the Federal Trade Commission, had compiled the registry, it appears the court would have permitted the Do-Not-Call List to go into effect on October 1 as scheduled.

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