Wisconsin Proposes Prank-Call Ban

Note to junior high school students: Do not prank call Wisconsin legislators and ask them if the refrigerator is running. One week after Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was prank-called by a blogger, the Wisconsin legislature proposed on Tuesday making the practical joke a crime. Their bill would prohibit callers from lying about their identity as well as giving a false number. A violation could result in a $10,000 fine. “While use of spoofing is said to have some legitimate uses, it can also be used to frighten, harass, and potentially defraud,” said the bill’s authors, Republican state Sen. Mary Lazich and Republican state Rep. Mark Honadel. They denied the proposal has anything to do with last week’s prank call to Walker.