Public safety agencies will have to rely on “If you fly, we can’t” education campaigns and existing restrictions for hobbyists’ unmanned aircraft as Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday, Oct. 3, vetoed bills aimed at controlling drone operations.
A flurry of legislation was proposed this year as more incidents came to light of drones interfering with air-tanker flights intended to drop fire retardant on blazing wildfires. Once spotted, the activity grounded or put the planes in a holding pattern until law enforcement could track down operators.
The three bills related to drones were sponsored by Sen. Ted Gaines, R-El Dorado. “To think that someone would interfere with firefighting or emergency response situations to get a sneak peek or to post a drone video on YouTube is an outrage that is deserving of punishment and condemnation,” Gaines said in a news release last month.
Brown said the state’s criminal code has more than 5,000 laws on the books, and that adding more crimes “creates increasing complexity without commensurate benefit.”