Oklahoma Weather Tracking Licensure Legislation

[gdlewen]

The latest:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1897140396804710823

Bingo. We know and have overwhelming data that this is false. I'd say this is the part that needs the hammer.

The agenda for Thursday’s Oversight meeting has been posted. Fetgatter's bill is on it:

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Welcome to Oklahoma's House of Representatives website!

www.okhouse.gov

But the latest version has not yet been posted. This seems deliberate to me, because if the latest revision is available, it should be linked to the agenda.

No word yet on the Senate version, since it was not on the Appropriations Committee agenda as of a few minutes ago. Appropriations meets at 1:30PM CST today.

 

[Warren Faidley]

The operational privileges section is quite scary. Can't wait to see a hypothetical person, say called Cal Vastor, blowing through a stop sign 30 mph over the posted limit on the wrong side of the road because a fictional meteorologist, say Pavid Dayne, has called a tornado warning on a rotating severe thunderstorm. That won't be dangerous at all.

This is only one example. Imagine 70+ vehicles doing this. I've given up trying to understand the logic.

 

[Warren Faidley]

It's hard to believe they want to keep a bill designed for public safety at TOP SECRET levels of release. Go figure.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Can someone post a copy of the actual schedule for the bill? I don't see it listed in any committee tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[Randy Jennings]

I see one glimmer of hope in Edgar ONeal's X Post: "Senate Bill Status: The Senate version of the bill has been effectively nullified. Senator Mann's removal of the "License" provision has led to Representative Fetgatter's withdrawal of support". In order for this bill to become a law both the OK House and OK Senate have to eventually pass the same bill (often after conference committee) and the OK Governor either has to sign it or at least not veto it before it becomes law (if Governor vetos it, the legislature can still vote to override the veto).

I think this gives us a clue as to how we can work to defeat this. It looks as if Senator Mann has concerns about increasing government regulations/bureaucracy/costs and that Rep Fetgatter isn't willing to let go of the added regulations/bureaucracy/costs (I will note that allowing media outlets to print their own passes to disobey traffic laws like the current Senate version does is even crazier than giving them a license to do so). I would suspect that this is an issue for a number of elected OK officials besides Senator Mann. The key to defeat this might be to try to get OK citizens to contact their elected officials about stopping the "administrative state" and "adding unnecessary government regulation and costs". This of course is easier said that done, because the average OK citizen likely doesn't think this will impact them and many of them likely drink the Kool-Aid about the media keeping them safe. You still might get some folks, likely Republican groups, to take a stand and given the deep red nature of OK politics, you might actually get some of the OK legislature pull support.

Another angle might be to get folks angry about the fact that both the House and Senate version will required citizens to pull over and yield the right of way to the media. Right now in the US a lot of the public doesn't have a positive view of media and I don't think that having to yield to them would be popular. Now getting folks angry is not going to be easy to do, but if you find some folks with lots of social media followers - especially outside of the storm chasing community - and they post about it, you could see some results. Once again not easy to do. I don't see any player in the OKC Thunder posting on X about this. Once again this might be a place were we can leverage the right-of-center folks. If you got a popular social media person in that group to post about the "unnecessary regulation and costs" and the "absurdity of having to yield the right of way to the media" you might get some traction. It may be time to start poking at those folks to put these ideas in their heads.

Regardless, don't take this House/Senate fraction to let your guard down - this could be a way we are getting played or a compromise could still happen between the bill authors. Politician at the state level still need broadcast media, so don't be surprised if this quid pro quo bill passes.

 

[gdlewen]

I see one glimmer of hope in Edgar ONeal's X Post: "Senate Bill Status: The Senate version of the bill has been effectively nullified. Senator Mann's removal of the "License" provision has led to Representative Fetgatter's withdrawal of support". In order for this bill to become a law both the OK House and OK Senate have to eventually pass the same bill (often after conference committee) and the OK Governor either has to sign it or at least not veto it before it becomes law (if Governor vetos it, the legislature can still vote to override the veto).

I think this gives us a clue as to how we can work to defeat this. It looks as if Senator Mann has concerns about increasing government regulations/bureaucracy/costs and that Rep Fetgatter isn't willing to let go of the added regulations/bureaucracy/costs (I will note that allowing media outlets to print their own passes to disobey traffic laws like the current Senate version does is even crazier than giving them a license to do so). I would suspect that this is an issue for a number of elected OK officials besides Senator Mann. The key to defeat this might be to try to get OK citizens to contact their elected officials about stopping the "administrative state" and "adding unnecessary government regulation and costs". This of course is easier said that done, because the average OK citizen likely doesn't think this will impact them and many of them likely drink the Kool-Aid about the media keeping them safe. You still might get some folks, likely Republican groups, to take a stand and given the deep red nature of OK politics, you might actually get some of the OK legislature pull support.

Another angle might be to get folks angry about the fact that both the House and Senate version will required citizens to pull over and yield the right of way to the media. Right now in the US a lot of the public doesn't have a positive view of media and I don't think that having to yield to them would be popular. Now getting folks angry is not going to be easy to do, but if you find some folks with lots of social media followers - especially outside of the storm chasing community - and they post about it, you could see some results. Once again not easy to do. I don't see any player in the OKC Thunder posting on X about this. Once again this might be a place were we can leverage the right-of-center folks. If you got a popular social media person in that group to post about the "unnecessary regulation and costs" and the "absurdity of having to yield the right of way to the media" you might get some traction. It may be time to start poking at those folks to put these ideas in their heads.

Regardless, don't take this House/Senate fraction to let your guard down - this could be a way we are getting played or a compromise could still happen between the bill authors. Politician at the state level still need broadcast media, so don't be surprised if this quid pro quo bill passes.

Regular folks I've talked to, who are only peripherally associated with chasing (as in "I watch the news"), were shocked that this bill has even been proposed. They don't want media vehicles given the proposed priveleges.

 

[gdlewen]

Can someone post a copy of the actual schedule for the bill? I don't see it listed in any committee tomorrow. Thanks.

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Welcome to Oklahoma's House of Representatives website!

www.okhouse.gov

Scroll Down to:

Click on agenda and it's Item 11:

Item Number: 11
Measure Number: HB2426
Description: Emergency weather response; creating the Oklahoma Emergency Weather Response and Tracking Regulatory Act of 2025; defining terms; emergency.
Authors: Fetgatter, Mann, Mann

For some reason I can only find it by using the calendar date filter. I think that's because the committee was not scheduled to meet tomorrow, so not all links have been updated.

 

[gdlewen]

I just spoke to Rep. Fetgatter's office and the bill is being worked-on right now. As soon as the revision is complete I should get a copy via email. I will post it here unless someone else beats me to it.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I just spoke to Rep. Fetgatter's office and the bill is being worked-on right now. As soon as the revision is complete I should get a copy via email. I will post it here unless someone else beats me to it.

As always, THANKS! I'd be surprised if they actually send it to you. His office makes these promises to everyone but never delivers.

I see one glimmer of hope in Edgar ONeal's X Post: "Senate Bill Status: The Senate version of the bill has been effectively nullified. Senator Mann's removal of the "License" provision has led to Representative Fetgatter's withdrawal of support". In order for this bill to become a law both the OK House and OK Senate have to eventually pass the same bill (often after conference committee) and the OK Governor either has to sign it or at least not veto it before it becomes law (if Governor vetos it, the legislature can still vote to override the veto).

I think this gives us a clue as to how we can work to defeat this. It looks as if Senator Mann has concerns about increasing government regulations/bureaucracy/costs and that Rep Fetgatter isn't willing to let go of the added regulations/bureaucracy/costs (I will note that allowing media outlets to print their own passes to disobey traffic laws like the current Senate version does is even crazier than giving them a license to do so). I would suspect that this is an issue for a number of elected OK officials besides Senator Mann. The key to defeat this might be to try to get OK citizens to contact their elected officials about stopping the "administrative state" and "adding unnecessary government regulation and costs". This of course is easier said that done, because the average OK citizen likely doesn't think this will impact them and many of them likely drink the Kool-Aid about the media keeping them safe. You still might get some folks, likely Republican groups, to take a stand and given the deep red nature of OK politics, you might actually get some of the OK legislature pull support.

Another angle might be to get folks angry about the fact that both the House and Senate version will required citizens to pull over and yield the right of way to the media. Right now in the US a lot of the public doesn't have a positive view of media and I don't think that having to yield to them would be popular. Now getting folks angry is not going to be easy to do, but if you find some folks with lots of social media followers - especially outside of the storm chasing community - and they post about it, you could see some results. Once again not easy to do. I don't see any player in the OKC Thunder posting on X about this. Once again this might be a place were we can leverage the right-of-center folks. If you got a popular social media person in that group to post about the "unnecessary regulation and costs" and the "absurdity of having to yield the right of way to the media" you might get some traction. It may be time to start poking at those folks to put these ideas in their heads.

Regardless, don't take this House/Senate fraction to let your guard down - this could be a way we are getting played or a compromise could still happen between the bill authors. Politician at the state level still need broadcast media, so don't be surprised if this quid pro quo bill passes.

I believe they have decided to work on Fet's bill only, for strategic purposes, or so I'm told.

 

[gdlewen]

Latest word on HR2426: it is in legal review and it's not known when that process will be complete. Hopefully today. (They are really pressing to get this through by before the deadline. I can think of much better bills that don't get this much attention.)

 

[Warren Faidley]

Latest word on HR2426: it is in legal review and it's not known when that process will be complete. Hopefully today. (They are really pressing to get this through by before the deadline. I can think of much better bills that don't get this much attention.)

Legal review? Who is their lead attorney? Gomez Adams.

 

[Warren Faidley]

The State of Oklahoma seems to forget that they are not immune from mega-lawsuits if someone is killed from this stupid law. It should not take a jury long to understand how having 80+ civilian emergency vehicles running amuck is not safe.

 

[gdlewen]

The State of Oklahoma seems to forget that they are not immune from mega-lawsuits if someone is killed from this stupid law. It should not take a jury long to understand how having 80+ civilian emergency vehicles running amuck is not safe.

It will be an interesting exploration of the boundaries of government responsibility created by regulation. I would think Oklahoma would not want to explore those boundaries....

 

[Warren Faidley]

Their attorney will be speaking soon.

 

[gdlewen]

Here is the Committee Substitute to HR2426: