Attorney general cheers death of federal cellphone measure

Indiana's attorney general is claiming victory after federal cellphone legislation died in Congress this week.

Attorney General Greg Zoeller said Wednesday that federal lawmakers rightly pulled back on a bill that would have allowed companies to place robocalls to cellphones.

Omaha Republican Rep. Lee Terry introduced the measure saying he wanted a minor tweak to existing law. But he told the Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday that he was withdrawing the proposal because of the ardent opposition.

Opponents including Zoeller and other state attorneys general said the measure would have allowed telemarketers to flood cellphone owners with calls and texts. But supporters said they wanted to make it easier for companies to send pertinent information to consumers.

Zoeller testified against the measure last month at a congressional hearing.