An Illinois-based nonprofit that wants to make political robo-calls in Indiana for the May primary has asked the 7th Circuit
Court of Appeals to lift a stay banning the company from doing so.
Patriotic Veterans Inc. asked the 7th Circuit to reconsider its Dec. 21 decision to allow Indiana to enforce a statute restricting
out-of-state robo-calls. In its motion filed April 20, the nonprofit argues that Indiana’s May 8 primary election includes
several significant contested races and the organization has been asked to “place interstate political phone calls in
advance of this important election by using the technology prohibited by Indiana’s Automatic Dialing Machine Statute.”
Patriotic Veterans claims that the stay is detrimental to the organization and Indiana voters because it prevents Patriotic
Veterans from “engaging in core political speech during an election cycle.”
The state opposes the motion, arguing that Patriotic Veterans cited no new facts or circumstances that justify lifting the
stay. The state writes in its brief that “Indiana citizens will suffer great harm to their residential privacy if the
stay is lifted and PVI acts as if it has a license to flood Indiana homes with calls.”
In September, U.S. Judge William Lawrence ruled that Indiana’s Automatic Dialing Machine Statute is preempted by federal
law and the state couldn’t prevent out-of-state entities from placing political robo-calls to Hoosiers. That decision
was appealed, and the stay was issued allowing Indiana to enforce the statute pending a 7th Circuit decision.
The 7th Circuit has not ruled on Patriotic Veterans’ motion.














Conversations
0 Comments
Add Comment