Oklahoma Weather Tracking Licensure Legislation

[Warren Faidley]

I believe w/o the "emergency vehicle" language, the bill fails. I'm assuming Dave from channel 9, is not happy with the revisions that chasers suggested and there is a battle going on.

 

[gdlewen]

It looks like HB2426 was moved onto the agenda today at 4:05PM, but cannot be voted on before Monday, 3/17/2025:



I spoke to someone in Fetgatter's office this morning and was told the latest draft was still in progress and they would send it to me when it was ready. So far I have not received anything and it looks like the draft is ready. I hope, therefore, to get it tomorrow.

Obviously I am not dropping this and will only quit once the Governor signs it into law, but it doesn't look good.

 

[Warren Faidley]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1900660023111426242

 

[Dave C]

The fact a few OK residents are fighting is appreciated. The bill would have died long ago if the real game wasn't distraction until the backers see the opportunity to catch everyone unawares and get their vote through.

Personally I think contacting the OTHER reps or the Governer. rather than talking thru Fetga$$er is the current best path. He will do whatever it takes it seems, as will Payne who appears to be having a massive ego trip that he is better than people and thinks he is saving lives. Still shocked at his claim that his team gets caught behind conga lines even with a massive budget and cannot get the best footage?! You have to be pretty crappy at chasing for that to happen. I think there are deeper network ideas and money behind this first of its kind experiment.

Fairly certain this will pass no matter what unless the optics are made too bad for the greedy. A month of negotiations has elasped to appear as if the public views are considered, and not one fundamental thing changed at all.

MyRadar had decent coverage of this on their youtube news. Hoping anyone else with any reach is willing to really put it out there. A couple of these 'celebrity' chasers have massive reach but have been way too quiet. There will not be a second chance once the slippery slope gets oiled with the first bill of this kind, favoring corporations over people.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Breaking.... I'm hearing rumors the bill's latest version is done and released, although it's not published anywhere. Updates soon.

 

[gdlewen]

Here it is:

https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26%20FLOOR%20AMENDMENTS/House/HB2426%20FA1%20FETGATTERSC-JBH.PDF

So far it is not on the Daily Floor Activity Calendar:

https://former.okhouse.gov/Documents/Daily%20Floor%20Activities.pdf

And it looks like it cannot be considered before tomorrow afternoon at 4PM CDT.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Here you go!

https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26%20FLOOR%20AMENDMENTS/House/HB2426%20FA1%20FETGATTERSC-JBH.PDF

 

[gdlewen]

Just because it CAN be considered tomorrow afternoon doesn't mean it will. But we have to assume it WILL be. A scant 24 hours to analyze the new language (in which I already see some errors) and contact our elected representatives.

 

[Warren Faidley]

It would appear that licensed TV station chasers will still have the right to block roads and drive like emergency vehicles near storms, thus endangering other chasers and the public. They may not be considered as "emergency vehicles" but still have all the rights. Not sure how this will work legally.

 

[Randy Jennings]

While I still oppose this bill, the proposed floor mod is an improvement from the prior versions. Specifically this has changed from before:

"E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require that any motor vehicle yield right-of-way and stop for any professional severe weather tracker."

It also makes it clear that:

"F. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a professional severe weather tracker to impersonate a law enforcement officer or first responder, or to block roads or prevent the free and regular flow of traffic upon the roads of this state."

This bill now only allows a licensed "Professional Severe Weather Tracker" (PSWT) to:

• Have and use a combination of green and yellow flashing lights,
• Travel upon roads, highways, and county roads closed by the Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, any city or county, or any law enforcement agency by reason of conditions triggered by the significant weather event (although a LEO can still keep them from entering the closed area if the conditions which caused such closure present too grave a risk for the life and safety of the PSWT),
• Run a red light after coming to a complete stop,
• Speed so long as speeding does not endanger life or property,
• Disregard regulations governing direction of movement, and
• Disregard regulations governing turning in specified directions.

A subset of TV station chasers already think traffic laws don't apply to them, so not much changes here other than they will be correct. Sort of this entire bill going away, I would like to see "disregard regulations governing direction of movement" removed from this bill, as while allowed to by law, Fire and Police/Sheriff Dept policy often prohibits driving the wrong way because it is so dangerous (this is why you see Fire and Police fighting thru the traffic jam to get to a freeway accident instead of seeing them drive the wrong way).

Also note my use of bolding the word proposed floor mod, as this amendment appears to have not been brought to the floor yet and approved. Until that happens we have to assume that that it will either not be brought or if brought it may not get approved and the old version may be the one considered by the floor.

This bill still has a lot of technical problems. It still puts the public and chasers in danger (especially when a PSWT runs a red light and hits a vehicle that isn't required by law to yield to it or when a PSWT drives the wrong way). It also sets up a framework for more regulation in the future. But if my choice is this amendment or any of the old versions, I will take this one (realizing I will regret saying that).

 

[Brett Roberts]

Having been unable to keep up with this saga consistently the past couple months, I just took a fresh look at today's revision to get some grounding.

By my reading, this version:

• Requires the Super Duper Storm Trackers (SDSTs) to use flashing greens and yellows in order to obtain any extra privileges
• Does not permit them to block roads
• Other traffic is not required to yield to them
• SDSTs can disregard speed limits within reason
• SDSTs can proceed through red lights after stopping and checking for cross traffic
• SDSTs can "disregard regulations governing turning in specific directions" (illegal U-turns?)
• SDSTs can proceed through roadblocks/closures, unless OHP decides the risk to life is too grave even for the SDSTs
• SDSTs are prohibited from using their privileges "for the purposes of getting a better filming location," but instead are intended only to be given access through intermediate blocked areas that are impeding them from keeping up with the storm

I'm almost more annoyed to find that some of the most egregious concerns for other chasers have been addressed, however superficially and toothlessly. Issues around encouraging extremely reckless behavior and endangering the rest of us are of course largely unaddressed, since they're so core to what the bill's real authors want in the first place.

In terms of provisions that interfere with other chasers in ways other than safety, I guess we can be thankful there is no requirement to yield or allowance for them to block roads. But, IMO, this will really all come down to how OHP and local police re-calibrate their blocking of roads during storms from their current practices, if at all. I have a strong suspicion that they will start blocking key highways for the sole purpose of parting the sea for the SDSTs, often in situations they wouldn't have thought about doing roadblocks before. If and when that happens, I expect things to get very, very ugly in a hurry... and it could create a situation that poses grave safety concerns of its own. On the other hand, if law enforcement in Oklahoma continues operating exactly as they have and only occasionally blocking roads for "long-track tornado crossing busy highway full of clueless normies" situations, then on paper this isn't catastrophic for the rest of us. Even then, the slippery slope and overall increased attention from law enforcement would still make passage of this bill a huge, grim milestone in chasing history.

 

[gdlewen]

While I still oppose this bill, the proposed floor mod is an improvement from the prior versions. Specifically this has changed from before:

"E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require that any motor vehicle yield right-of-way and stop for any professional severe weather tracker."

It also makes it clear that:

"F. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a professional severe weather tracker to impersonate a law enforcement officer or first responder, or to block roads or prevent the free and regular flow of traffic upon the roads of this state."

This bill now only allows a licensed "Professional Severe Weather Tracker" (PSWT) to:

• Have and use a combination of green and yellow flashing lights,
• Travel upon roads, highways, and county roads closed by the Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, any city or county, or any law enforcement agency by reason of conditions triggered by the significant weather event (although a LEO can still keep them from entering the closed area if the conditions which caused such closure present too grave a risk for the life and safety of the PSWT),
• Run a red light after coming to a complete stop,
• Speed so long as speeding does not endanger life or property,
• Disregard regulations governing direction of movement, and
• Disregard regulations governing turning in specified directions.

A subset of TV station chasers already think traffic laws don't apply to them, so not much changes here other than they will be correct. Sort of this entire bill going away, I would like to see "disregard regulations governing direction of movement" removed from this bill, as while allowed to by law, Fire and Police/Sheriff Dept policy often prohibits driving the wrong way because it is so dangerous (this is why you see Fire and Police fighting thru the traffic jam to get to a freeway accident instead of seeing them drive the wrong way).

Also note my use of bolding the word proposed floor mod, as this amendment appears to have not been brought to the floor yet and approved. Until that happens we have to assume that that it will either not be brought or if brought it may not get approved and the old version may be the one considered by the floor.

This bill still has a lot of technical problems. It still puts the public and chasers in danger (especially when a PSWT runs a red light and hits a vehicle that isn't required by law to yield to it or when a PSWT drives the wrong way). It also sets up a framework for more regulation in the future. But if my choice is this amendment or any of the old versions, I will take this one (realizing I will regret saying that).

I agree that most of the language which could have been used to restrict private chasing has been removed. What's left are the public safety issues that always accompanied giving media chasers permission to violate traffic safety laws. I interpret the permission to violate posted traffic directions as permission to drive down the "opposing" side of a divided highway. (What could possibly go wrong?)

A significant addition to the bill? A carve-out for "private research" activities. Did I see

ɯ-°U°-ɯ
RT was here​

somewhere in that section?

If you look at the various versions, what has always remained are the favors to TV media outlets. And the idea that this is a special interest bill always intended to benefit a few at the expense of the many still really fries my bacon. That's why I consider this bill to be hopelessly flawed.

• I am certain that only the Floor Amendment posted above can be voted on after tomorrow at 4:05 PM.

But that doesn't prevent the Senate from substituting the original bad bill for this version down the road, or a conference committee from doing that.

 

[Warren Faidley]

While I still oppose this bill, the proposed floor mod is an improvement from the prior versions. Specifically this has changed from before:

"E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require that any motor vehicle yield right-of-way and stop for any professional severe weather tracker."

It also makes it clear that:

"F. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a professional severe weather tracker to impersonate a law enforcement officer or first responder, or to block roads or prevent the free and regular flow of traffic upon the roads of this state."

This bill now only allows a licensed "Professional Severe Weather Tracker" (PSWT) to:

• Have and use a combination of green and yellow flashing lights,
• Travel upon roads, highways, and county roads closed by the Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, any city or county, or any law enforcement agency by reason of conditions triggered by the significant weather event (although a LEO can still keep them from entering the closed area if the conditions which caused such closure present too grave a risk for the life and safety of the PSWT),
• Run a red light after coming to a complete stop,
• Speed so long as speeding does not endanger life or property,
• Disregard regulations governing direction of movement, and
• Disregard regulations governing turning in specified directions.

This will still disrupt or stop traffic flow.

A subset of TV station chasers already think traffic laws don't apply to them, so not much changes here other than they will be correct. Sort of this entire bill going away, I would like to see "disregard regulations governing direction of movement" removed from this bill, as while allowed to by law, Fire and Police/Sheriff Dept policy often prohibits driving the wrong way because it is so dangerous (this is why you see Fire and Police fighting thru the traffic jam to get to a freeway accident instead of seeing them drive the wrong way).

Also note my use of bolding the word proposed floor mod, as this amendment appears to have not been brought to the floor yet and approved. Until that happens we have to assume that that it will either not be brought or if brought it may not get approved and the old version may be the one considered by the floor.

This bill still has a lot of technical problems. It still puts the public and chasers in danger (especially when a PSWT runs a red light and hits a vehicle that isn't required by law to yield to it or when a PSWT drives the wrong way). It also sets up a framework for more regulation in the future. But if my choice is this amendment or any of the old versions, I will take this one (realizing I will regret saying that).

You need to read page 11, Line 19: 2. (Licensed chasers only) Travel upon roads, highways, and county roads closed by the Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, any city or county, or any law enforcement agency by reason of conditions triggered by the significant weather event.

This means LE or DOT can close any road for any reason and only let the licensed chasers pass.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I made a larger infographic out of the original. Feedback welcome.

 

[Dave C]

I made a larger infographic out of the original. Feedback welcome.

View attachment 26862

Fantastic work Dan! Might clarify wording on last sentences as follows, since it is not crystal clear who 'the group' is referring to. "The Bill sponsors state their goal is to get amateurs off the roads. Amateurs already provide 7 times more reports than the broadcast media who are seeking not just to remove amateurs from the roads, but special emergency privileges."

A big graphic is a great idea and clear enough that even a politician might be helped to understand it (if they can read). I think simple graphics like these, if put in the right hands could really help. As a compliment, if we could also verify data and have two more graphics that show what I am fairly certain is true 1) researcher and media chasers are the leading cause of chase fatality and incidents on chase days and 2) amateurs are already getting better ground truth (and footage which Payne must hate) without special rights than well funded legacy media's best efforts now, allowing NWS to make their warning goals without new legislation.

If they would just title this bill honestly, I could grudingly respect their evil, like a great story villain. Bill should be called "Legacy Weather Media Financial and Glory Revival at the Expense of Public Safety and Decency... Regulatory Act of 2025" The Acronym would be easy to remember too: LWMFGREPSD Act of 2025