One of the bills recently passed overwhelmingly by the Ohio Legislature is now awaiting Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature, but some people are urging him to veto it. The legislation (HB 251) establishes rules for how and when police agencies can use drones.
Rep. Bernard Willis (R-Springfield), the main sponsor of the bill, testified that the legislation "represents a thoughtful and collaborative effort to modernize Ohio law. It respects constitutional principles while embracing innovation, and it ensures that our state is prepared for the future of air mobility—both in terms of oversight and infrastructure."
The legislation had widespread support among Republicans and Democrats. Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma) said he voted for the bill because rules for the use of drones by police are needed.
“We have an issue in our state right now where we have a lot of new 21st-century technology but no clear guidelines on how to use it," Brennan said.
But Gary Daniels, the ACLU of Ohio's legislative director, said he is urging DeWine to veto the bill. “In this case, there’s obvious First Amendment implications,” he said.
Daniels said the bill gives the government more leeway than average citizens, and he worries the data generated by the government’s use of drones, which would be available to the public, could violate individuals’ privacy.
“Normally at the ACLU of Ohio, we are huge champions for government transparency and public records laws. But we don’t think public records laws should be used for one person to essentially spy on another or discover certain information about another so we think that current loophole needs to be closed under Ohio law, not blown wide-open," Daniels said.
Daniels said a part of the bill that requires a private drone user to get permission from the people being surveilled could also be problematic, possibly affecting the ability of media outlets to get crowd shots at local events.
There is no word yet on whether DeWine will sign the bill into law.
