Owens staffer: Lots of calls on SOPA (update)

U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, and his staff have fielded quite a few calls today on the Stop Online Piracy Act.

I talked to the congressman's spokesman, Sean Magers, about a half-hour ago.

"We have received an increase in calls today, some from outside the district, some from within the district," he said. "Calls have been split, with the majority of people asking for changes to the legislation -- which Congressman Owens is open to, like he's said all along."

Magers said Owens referred to online protests today as "democracy in action." He also said that the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee has promised to address potential changes and objections to the bill when that committee gavels in next month.

"Owens is looking forward to addressing changes that constituents have been advocating for," Magers said. "We hope that constituents maintain the same passion for issues moving forward and that this isn't a one-time thing. It's good that we're hearing from people in the district, because that's what we're here for."

*Quick update to this original post: if a majority of callers to Owens' staff have been opposed to SOPA, a quick scan of the congressman's Facebook page reveals widespread opposition to the bill. You can read the posts by logging onto Facebook and searching for "Congressman Bill Owens."