Oklahoma Weather Tracking Licensure Legislation

[gdlewen]

Fetgatter is a big time MAGA Rep. with ties to the police and fire unions. (Not criticizing his political affiliations). I have no doubt he made some kind of deal. There is no way LE wants to deal with more fools on the road running code-3.

This is as far from a conservative bill as you can get. It's a Jekyll and Hyde thing, I think. Regarding HR2426: "Welcome, Mr. Hyde."

 

[Jamie H]

This blows the mind. Neutral? As much as LE complains about chasers, you want to give some of them special privileges to break the law?

Neutral?

How about an enterprising reporter in OK (I assume some exist) contact these agencies? "Are you really OK with this bill?" "If so, why?" "If not, have you expressed your opposition? Do you plan to do so?" Anybody have back channels to these agencies? Get some idea about how to prod them?

Has Channel Nine's sister station in Tulsa, KOTV, weighed in on this?

IIRC he was saying they weren't happy but would be neutral to allow it to pass, on the proviso it was still worked on.

I find it odd that bills are passed without knowing what the final text will look like, but maybe that's just the way local politics works. Doesn't seem like a representative could properly allow anything to pass when they don't know what the final thing will look like.

KOTV is part of Griffin Media, who are behind this. I would like to know what KFOR makes of it - are they quiet because they will be ok if it passes, even though they don't really want it?

 

[Jamie H]

Fetgatter is a big time MAGA Rep. with ties to the police and fire unions. (Not criticizing his political affiliations). I have no doubt he made some kind of deal. There is no way LE wants to deal with more fools on the road running code-3.

He seemed like a prickly pear, especially when other representatives said they own local LO and FD were not in favour. His response of course, was they should come talk to him, not complain elsewhere.

 

[Jamie H]

The fishiest thing about this is that none of the counter-points anyone has raised are being heard by the lawmakers. It's all only one side being allowed to speak.

Thought the same myself. Other reps either offered up nothing useful "can I come on a storm chase?" or could only say they had local opposition, which wasn't adequately addressed before it was passed.

David Payne was allowed to come and say all the right things, but at no point during the 30 mins or so did anyone question:

- how will they safely pass traffic?
- how will the public be able to pass them if they are stopped?
- what is the emergency driving test like? Is it just a course, or can people fail?
- what specific scenarios have existed in the past that make this bill necessary? Payne said he has a problem if one of his people is stuck in traffic behind tourist chasers, but when has a TV reporter not been able to catch up to a storm and has that then led to people's lives being in danger?
- if this has been a problem since 1996, why is it now needing new laws?

Found this on a press release:

"Fetgatter said last year, tornado sirens sounded in the cities of Okmulgee and Morris in his House district, but weather radar had picked up the storms too late, and residents already were in danger. Had it not been for the quick action of a local storm tracker, residents would not have known to take shelter, he said."

Who was this storm tracker? Were they impeded by chaser traffic or was it a non-FCC chaser who sounded the alarm, and what would his bill do to limit the ability of these people and their life-saving warnings?

 

[JamesCaruso]

When will other states or provinces follow (if not already dreaming up similar as prompted by networks and lobbyists) and will their bills be worse?

The station pushing this bill could be owned by a media company that has stations in neighboring states and will push it there too. Anyone have any insight into this?

EDIT: Saw @Jamie H ‘s post about Griffin Media ownership - so they have stations in other Tornado Alley states?

 

[JamesCaruso]

I find it odd that bills are passed without knowing what the final text will look like, but maybe that's just the way local politics works. Doesn't seem like a representative could properly allow anything to pass when they don't know what the final thing will look like.

This happens on a federal level too, such as Nancy Pelosi’s notorious quote about the Obamacare legislation, “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.”

 

[Jamie H]

The station pushing this bill could be owned by a media company that has stations in neighboring states and will push it there too. Anyone have any insight into this?

EDIT: Saw @Jamie H ‘s post about Griffin Media ownership - so they have stations in other Tornado Alley states?

Griffin only owns OK outlets:

It owns Oklahoma's two large CBS affiliates, KWTV-DT in Oklahoma City and KOTV-DT in Tulsa, and duopoly partners in each of those markets, MyNetworkTV outlet KSBI-TV in Oklahoma City and The CW outlet KQCW-DT in Tulsa. It also owns five radio stations in Tulsa.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Thought the same myself. Other reps either offered up nothing useful "can I come on a storm chase?" or could only say they had local opposition, which wasn't adequately addressed before it was passed.

David Payne was allowed to come and say all the right things, but at no point during the 30 mins or so did anyone question:

- how will they safely pass traffic?
- how will the public be able to pass them if they are stopped?
- what is the emergency driving test like? Is it just a course, or can people fail?
- what specific scenarios have existed in the past that make this bill necessary? Payne said he has a problem if one of his people is stuck in traffic behind tourist chasers, but when has a TV reporter not been able to catch up to a storm and has that then led to people's lives being in danger?
- if this has been a problem since 1996, why is it now needing new laws?

Found this on a press release:

"Fetgatter said last year, tornado sirens sounded in the cities of Okmulgee and Morris in his House district, but weather radar had picked up the storms too late, and residents already were in danger. Had it not been for the quick action of a local storm tracker, residents would not have known to take shelter, he said."

Who was this storm tracker? Were they impeded by chaser traffic or was it a non-FCC chaser who sounded the alarm, and what would his bill do to limit the ability of these people and their life-saving warnings?

You can bet your ass that local LEO's will not have any problem issuing tickets to chasers who interfere with "emergency media" vehicles. The fines are stiff and there are maximum points. Passing too close for example is a $1k fine. There is no way they will be able to pass long conga lines of cars safely. We are talking head-on collisions. And how the hell do you pull over for an emergency vehicle on rural Oklahoma roads? Most of the roads are lined with that slick mud. It's going to be an epic and deadly fail.

 

[Warren Faidley]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1898069018319413274

 

[Ken Perrin]

But isn’t Fettgatter the Republican? Yet he’s the one supporting the additional regulations/bureaucracy in the bill, while Mann no longer does?

Judging from what I can see, he is of the pro-business (in this case the legacy media) over everyone else, because they can do everything better, camp.

 

[gdlewen]

HB2426 is scheduled to be heard on the House Floor on Monday, March 10. There are hundreds items on the agenda (36 pages x approx. 12 per page) so do not expect too much discussion.

https://former.okhouse.gov/CalendarFiles/2025/2025_hcal21.pdf

 

[Warren Faidley]

Just to give everyone a heads-up, there have been posts on social media saying the bill has been revised. This is both false and stupid. We saw the actual bill presented to the committee last week. This political tactic has occurred at least two times before, where Rep. Fetgatter has reportedly told chasers he is making big revisions that never occur. It's an attempt to squash and deflect the discontent by making false promises.

 

[gdlewen]

Just to give everyone a heads-up, there have been posts on social media saying the bill has been revised. This is both false and stupid. We saw the actual bill presented to the committee last week. This political tactic has occurred at least two times before, where Rep. Fetgatter has reportedly told chasers he is making big revisions that never occur. It's an attempt to squash and deflect the discontent by making false promises.

The Amended bill passed through the House Oversight Committee last week is what's on the agenda. Nothing new there. I haven't checked the Senate bill since it missed getting on the Appropriations Committee agenda before the deadline, but I will do that.

Update: for SB158 there's nothing new.

 

[Warren Faidley]

The only way this bill changes is if the OHP applies even more pressure, which I believe they are doing.

 

[Diane Bianchi]

I wonder if it would help, or hinder, to invite a legislator to ride along on a chase?
They can get the back seat view of what goes into a chase (radar, communications, reporting to 911/NWS/, first respond/SAR, etc.).
Just a thought. Carry on.