Maine Legislators to Hear Bills Controlling Drone Use

(Source: pressherald.com)  

A pair of bills to try to control drone aircraft in Maine’s skies will go before a legislative committee this week.

One of the measures is largely a repeat of a bill vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage two years ago. Like that bill, the measure would ban law enforcement agencies from buying drones without local government approval and also ban the use of drones by police unless they have a search warrant. The law includes a moratorium on all use of drones by police agencies until July 1, 2017.

After vetoing the measure, LePage said his administration would come up with its policy for the use of drones, but hasn’t forwarded any bills for the Legislature to consider.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine said it will again back the bill to limit police use of drones, which will be the subject of a public hearing before the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The committee meeting is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. in the State House, Room 438. Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, is sponsoring the bill, L.D. 25, an Act to Protect the Privacy of Citizens from Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Uses.

Russell said her bill would require law enforcement agencies to get a warrant from a judge before they can use a drone in a criminal investigation. Without that third-party form of checks and balances, Russell said expanding technology such as aerial drones opens the door to abuse by police and law enforcement.

“People have an expectation that there will be a warrant in (a criminal) investigation and that certain protocols around that warrant will be followed,” Russell said. “You can’t set aside the Constitution just because there is new technology.”

Russell said she wants to be clear that she is not opposed to the use of drones for useful purposes such as search and rescue, but if drones are going to be used by police and drug investigators, there needs to be some type of oversight.

“My bill is focused on law enforcement,” she added.

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