Attorney General's News Release

May 3, 2001

No Call coverage now exceeds 1.1 million Missourians

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon announced today that the number of Missourians covered under registration for the state's No Call program to reduce telemarketing calls is now more than 1.1 million. Nixon said that more than 103,000 residential phone numbers were registered on the list just in the period of April 27-May 1. May 1 was the deadline for consumers to place their numbers on the No Call list to be protected when enforcement of the law begins July 1.

Nixon explained that approximately 442,000 Missouri households now have their home telephone numbers on the list; using the census average of 2.53 persons per Missouri household, this translates into No Call coverage of more than 1.1 million Show Me State residents, Nixon said.

"It sends a clear message to telemarketers and to elected officials when, in a period of less than five months, more than a million Missourians say they want to reduce the telemarketing calls they get at home," Nixon said. "As the members of the General Assembly consider a bill to close off several loopholes in the current law, I hope they take notice of this demand from so many citizens who want to shut off intrusive telemarketing calls."

The first electronic database of telephone numbers on the list will be available for telemarketers to obtain within the next few weeks. Telemarketers covered under the No Call law can face penalties of up to $5,000 per violation if they call numbers on that list after July 1.

Because the No Call list will be updated quarterly, Missourians who missed the May 1 deadline to sign up for the No Call list can still register for protection to begin Oct. 1.

To register for the No Call list, consumers can go online to the Attorney General's Web site or can call a special toll-free number, 1-866 NO CALL 1 (1-866-662-2551).

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818