Drone Bill Passed by State House and Returned to State Senate

The bill requiring utility companies to obtain permission before flying drones over private property was back before the Oklahoma State House on Saturday during the rare weekend meeting.

House Bill 1326, authored by Rep. Casey Murdock (Felt-R) had been changed in the Senate but Representatives rejected them and approved the measure a second time on a 58-28 vote.

As Rep. Murdock explained, the bill includes some exemptions for law enforcement and for utilities in times of emergencies. He also said it will not supercede any FAA regulations.

But Democrats, who were critical of handling a non-budget item on the agenda questioned the measure and why it was even being considered when a budget deal had yet to be reached.

Listen to the debate in the House on Saturday.