Oklahoma Weather Tracking Licensure Legislation

[Mike Thornton]

Today at the Oklahoma Emergency Management Association meeting, during our Legislative Meeting we discussed in detail HB 2426 and the conversation got pretty heated IN OPPOSITION of the bill. Many EMs from around the State have talked to their senators and the Director of Oklahoma Emergency Management is working with multiple organizations in regards to this Bill. We have great traction against this Bill in Public Safety.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Today at the Oklahoma Emergency Management Association meeting, during our Legislative Meeting we discussed in detail HB 2426 and the conversation got pretty heated IN OPPOSITION of the bill. Many EMs from around the State have talked to their senators and the Director of Oklahoma Emergency Management is working with multiple organizations in regards to this Bill. We have great traction against this Bill in Public Safety.

Good work! I believe this will come down to the Governor either accepting the bill or vetoing it for liability and safety issues.

 

[gdlewen]

Good work! I believe this will come down to the Governor either accepting the bill or vetoing it for liability and safety issues.

I still have hope it will not make it out of the Senate Government Resources Committee, in which case it doesn't matter what the House does.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I am making a list of organizations and groups that oppose the bill. Please respond and I'll add them.

The United Cajun Navy just opposed it.

 

[Mike Dorame]

Today at the Oklahoma Emergency Management Association meeting, during our Legislative Meeting we discussed in detail HB 2426 and the conversation got pretty heated IN OPPOSITION of the bill. Many EMs from around the State have talked to their senators and the Director of Oklahoma Emergency Management is working with multiple organizations in regards to this Bill. We have great traction against this Bill in Public Safety.

Good. I'm glad y'all have some leverage & that you understand now is the time to use it

I was thinking... We need a voice for chasers in this country, especially as these bills will continue to pose a hazard to chasing, in the future across the country.

Has there ever been an effort to form a National Chasing Association? Now is the time! We need a lobby of our own. Perhaps this could be an episode of a podcast in the near future while this topic is hot.

"If your paycheck depends on
the weather and the clock
If your conversation calls for
a little more than a coffee pot
If you need to pour your heart out
and try to rectify some situation
That you're facing
Contact your American
Honky-Tonk Bar Association"

If Garth could do it, so can we.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Good. I'm glad y'all have some leverage & that you understand now is the time to use it

I was thinking... We need a voice for chasers in this country, especially as these bills will continue to pose a hazard to chasing, in the future across the country.

Has there ever been an effort to form a National Chasing Association? Now is the time! We need a lobby of our own. Perhaps this could be an episode of a podcast in the near future while this topic is hot.

"If your paycheck depends on
the weather and the clock
If your conversation calls for
a little more than a coffee pot
If you need to pour your heart out
and try to rectify some situation
That you're facing
Contact your American
Honky-Tonk Bar Association"

If Garth could do it, so can we.

Yes. There is talk behind the scenes of such a group. I'm not interested in organizing it as I don't have time, but it's needed.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Bad media behavior just captured and posted on X. Just imagine 50+ "emergency news crews" doing this during storm season.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1889688269480153371

 

[Jamie H]

I presume they will be getting a ticket for that action?

 

[Warren Faidley]

Here is the latest list of groups opposing #SB158 / #HB2426. We need more! EMS groups, Law enforcement and others.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Institute for Justice
Weatherstock Inc.
Oklahoma College Republicans
United Cajun Navy

 

[Randy Zipser]

Good. I'm glad y'all have some leverage & that you understand now is the time to use it

I was thinking... We need a voice for chasers in this country, especially as these bills will continue to pose a hazard to chasing, in the future across the country.

Has there ever been an effort to form a National Chasing Association? Now is the time! We need a lobby of our own. Perhaps this could be an episode of a podcast in the near future while this topic is hot.

"If your paycheck depends on
the weather and the clock
If your conversation calls for
a little more than a coffee pot
If you need to pour your heart out
and try to rectify some situation
That you're facing
Contact your American
Honky-Tonk Bar Association"

If Garth could do it, so can we.

 

[Randy Zipser]

The main purpose of Storm Track (ST), as originally conceived by David Hoadley, was to create an easier way at the time (1977) for storm chasers to communicate and exchange ideas about severe weather, which had been his passion for many years prior to that time. Back then, the concept of developing a newsletter for the storm-chasing community that Dave had envisioned started out with a very small nucleus of subscribers, less than two dozen, in fact, consisting mostly students at the University of Oklahoma Department of Meteorology and researchers at NSSL.

About a decade later, Tim Marshall “took over the reins” of ST and helped to propel it from the paper product into the digital age. This transformation allowed ST to reach a worldwide audience and gave its subscribers, members, and readers a new voice and power to express a variety of viewpoints of interest to the storm-chaser community that David (or I, for that matter) could never have imagined back in the beginning.

For this reason, I propose that storm-chasers, no matter where they are in the world, use the collective power of this ST forum as the #1 advocacy focal point for anything having to do with our craft, whether professionally or as hobbyists. Sure, there are many other social-media platforms, but ST is the only online platform still in existence today that was created exclusively by storm chasers for storm chasers. In much the same way as the AARP, for example, has influence over matters of interest to their membership, ST potentially holds considerable influence with regard to important issues our community faces (such as the Oklahoma licensure legislation) which may have wide-ranging effects on what we all have a passion to do.

Bottom line: perhaps we don’t really need to form a structured social group or direct-interaction organization to get our important viewpoints across, but rather do everything we possibly can to make the existence of ST better known to the power-brokers, decision-makers, and lawmakers who potentially can hold sway over us in the future.

Just a thought to consider…

 

[Warren Faidley]

The problem with trying to organize chasing now days are the extreme division between classifications. Once upon a time, it was just hobbyists, scientists and photojournalists like myself. Now days, you have chasers who are strictly internet entertainers, going to extreme measures to gain viewership. I'm not criticizing those who desire to chase that way, but it really complicates things.

 

[Randy Zipser]

The problem with trying to organize chasing now days are the extreme division between classifications. Once upon a time, it was just hobbyists, scientists and photojournalists like myself. Now days, you have chasers who are strictly internet entertainers, going to extreme measures to gain viewership. I'm not criticizing those who desire to chase that way, but it really complicates things.

Yes, I agree, Warren. That's why StormTrack.org should also be included in the "list of groups that oppose the OK bill" in your previous post #250. An open forum like Storm Track transcends all the differences of chaser motivation/classification above...but still can speak with one majority "voice." And, right now, that "voice" needs to be heard by the pols in OKC!

 

[Mike Thornton]

Bad media behavior just captured and posted on X. Just imagine 50+ "emergency news crews" doing this during storm season.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1889688269480153371

He never pulled over for my red and blue lights and sirens during a disaster once. No respect for him.

 

[JamesCaruso]

The main purpose of Storm Track (ST), as originally conceived by David Hoadley, was to create an easier way at the time (1977) for storm chasers to communicate and exchange ideas about severe weather, which had been his passion for many years prior to that time. Back then, the concept of developing a newsletter for the storm-chasing community that Dave had envisioned started out with a very small nucleus of subscribers, less than two dozen, in fact, consisting mostly students at the University of Oklahoma Department of Meteorology and researchers at NSSL.

About a decade later, Tim Marshall “took over the reins” of ST and helped to propel it from the paper product into the digital age. This transformation allowed ST to reach a worldwide audience and gave its subscribers, members, and readers a new voice and power to express a variety of viewpoints of interest to the storm-chaser community that David (or I, for that matter) could never have imagined back in the beginning.

For this reason, I propose that storm-chasers, no matter where they are in the world, use the collective power of this ST forum as the #1 advocacy focal point for anything having to do with our craft, whether professionally or as hobbyists. Sure, there are many other social-media platforms, but ST is the only online platform still in existence today that was created exclusively by storm chasers for storm chasers. In much the same way as the AARP, for example, has influence over matters of interest to their membership, ST potentially holds considerable influence with regard to important issues our community faces (such as the Oklahoma licensure legislation) which may have wide-ranging effects on what we all have a passion to do.

Bottom line: perhaps we don’t really need to form a structured social group or direct-interaction organization to get our important viewpoints across, but rather do everything we possibly can to make the existence of ST better known to the power-brokers, decision-makers, and lawmakers who potentially can hold sway over us in the future.

Just a thought to consider…

Hi Randy, thanks for this. I agree completely. I have always believed ST ought to be the one stop shop for all things related to storm chasing. I am definitely aligned that it should also be an advocacy focal point as you propose.

Unfortunately, (and at the risk of going OT), and as you’ll see in some older threads on here, that is simply not the current state of affairs. Social media seems to be the preferred medium for chasers, so everyone is scattered across those platforms, and of course there is no cohesion, collaboration or curation.

None of the “veterans” are even on ST anymore, except for Warren, the occasional post by Matt Crowther, and now, fortunately, you. By “veterans” I guess I am using outdated terminology, because I probably qualify as a “veteran” myself now (this will be by 29th year of chasing) and there are many others here of a similar tenure, so this term is not meant to offend or exclude. I guess I really should say “pioneers” - I’m talking about the David Hoadleys, Tim Marshalls, Gene Rhodens and Bobby Prentices of the world, and others that used to participate on the old WX-CHASE listserv but eventually went off to their own world of CFDG and never returned to the broader community. I would venture to guess I’m not the only one that sees many in that group as dismissive of the ST community, whether because of elitism and/or a desire for the bigger audience and potential virality of social media.

Point being, we have a long way to go to make this the number one platform for chaser convergence, let alone leverage it as a united advocacy group. Anything you can do to draw the “veterans” or “pioneers” back in would be awesome and appreciated!