Oklahoma Weather Tracking Licensure Legislation

[Warren Faidley]

I take exception to some of the above: they weren't listening to "Us" people in either the House or the Senate Committees that unanimously passed this bill out of committee. The votes indicate that no voices were heard but the special interests advocating for this bill. Any concerns about this bill were dismissed in wholly bipartisan fashion.

That is what really set me off this morning.

I watched it live and it was a total pile of I hope Oklahoma and every news station is sued into bankruptcy when the fatal accidents start piling up.

I going to slowly back away from fighting this bill because I think it's a losing proposition and I don't have a lot of time to devote to something other chasers should be fighting 10x as hard, especially those in OK and the live Internet chasers who somehow think it will not harm them. I don't have any plans to pull over for any vehicle unless it's a genuine emergency vehicle. I'll be happy to go to court and argue "public endangerment."

 

[Andrew Fryhover]

That is what really set me off this morning.

I watched it live and it was a total pile of I hope Oklahoma and every news station is sued into bankruptcy when the fatal accidents start piling up.

I going to slowly back away from fighting this bill because I think it's a losing proposition and I don't have a lot of time to devote to something other chasers should be fighting 10x as hard, especially those in OK and the live Internet chasers who somehow think it will not harm them. I don't have any plans to pull over for any vehicle unless it's a genuine emergency vehicle. I'll be happy to go to court and argue "public endangerment."

Yep, this is how it is in Oklahoma. It is what it is. They don't listen to us, just whoever lobbied (bought) them.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Andrew Lyons made this bar graph showing the source of tornado LSRs since 2003:

https://bsky.app/profile/twisterkid34.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3lil6iod5cc2j

In that dataset, it would be fair to combine chasers and spotters into a single non-media category (spotter-attributed reports do often come from a chaser), and also combine TV/television/media into a single broadcast media category. Although, the media numbers might include social media.

 

[Randy Zipser]

The bill just passed the Retirement and Government Resources Committee 8-0 in favor. I don't see anyway to stop it now. It was fun while it lasted. There are "double agents" working both sides, so it's become increasingly difficult to get accurate inside information.

Geeezus...8-0 "for"...it's hard to believe it was that one-sided! When it comes down to it, if an out-of-state chaser is looking at an EF-4 wedge about ready to cross the Red River from TX into OK, I wonder if he/she will say, "It's time to break-off the chase now because OK has some ridiculous new law that I do not want to risk getting a ticket over,"? In that situation, I'm betting that the chase goes on in most cases, and principles go by the wayside. Maybe that's what the pols are counting on by passing this law: little or no adverse outcome on the state's economy and more tickets to write/fines to be levied...

Looks like another example of "Good Ole' Boy" politics...hear what you want to hear and blame the rest on a bad case of "selective amnesia!" It's almost nearly impossible to overcome that reality, as I know from past experience working in state-government positions. Well anyway, those who made the effort to post their intelligent views on this thread are to be commended for taking a stand in opposition! Perhaps, Oklahoma will someday in the future realize what a big mistake they are just about to make...but we tried to tell 'em!

 

[Dan Robinson]

Even without knowing the percent of the "media" reports are from "social media" and thus generously granting all of those to the TV media chasers, non-TV chasers and spotters together are responsible for twice the tornado reports than broadcast TV chasers. As Andrew points out, many LSRs do not have notations regarding the source, but presumably we could expect the ratio to be the same on the non-annotated reports.

 

[William Monfredo]

8-0 in favor. I don't see anyway to stop it now...

I found it disheartening, too. But, I am reminded that it could still get voted down. Some lawmakers may realize that warnings won't get enhanced, selling licenses is not that lucrative, it's a dangerous ploy, and many other downsides mentioned here in previous pages.
There's simply no real reason for this law except a little bit of entertainment value from OK tv, but at a cost as mentioned.

 

[Blake Naftel]

I take exception to some of the above: they weren't listening to "Us" people in either the House or the Senate Committees that unanimously passed this bill out of committee. The votes indicate that no voices were heard but the special interests advocating for this bill. Any concerns about this bill were dismissed in wholly bipartisan fashion.

This, much like many ongoing scenarios in this country, was ultimately driven by big money, internal power and most likely some corruption as well into the mix. Legally most "chasers", professional photojournalists, etc., cannot nor will not make the effort to fight this due to financial constraints, nor do I see enforcement of this law a logical reality. The only way I could envision enforcement would be via electronic surveillance similar to how toll roads such as the H.E. Bailey or Cimarron turnpikes monitor trucks or electronic tolls. On rural routes, good luck with that.

My prior statement/s on this topic reflect the passive ignorance people take, on both sides, to allow for such a law to come about and be pushed through so rapidly. If anyone sees what is transpiring both at the national, state, local or even global levels, it all draws a line to a money thing, not out of genuine respect or concern for any voices of the voters via written, phone, in-person correspondence or even public electronic communications such as this thread.

Blake

 

[Jamie H]

I had hoped the Republicans would be against this, given how ideologically they are opposed to more government intervention, but power and money always wins out, and people suddenly don't mind a bit of tyranny if it's from their side. Still, the people of Oklahoma voted these folks in and that means they've got the ability to pass anything they please.

Thanks to all who fought the fight and maybe there's still hope, but here we are.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Next week, it's a full on media blitz. The legislators in Oklahoma are obviously bewitched by SB158, but don't have a clue about storm chasing, or the dangers such a bill poses to the general public.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

Currently in the process of ordering a magnetic "Channel 7" for my car door and installing red & blues on the chase vehicle. No way they'd ever arrest me for impersonating a storm chaser, right?

 

[Dan Robinson]

The LSR data seems to me to be clear evidence that undermines the foundations of this bill and the primary claims of its supporters. Of course, it's getting no traction on my social media because I apparently have a algorithmic curse in that area. If someone else can take that and run with it, I wouldn't object.

 

[Jeff Smith]

I am continually baffled at the prospect that TeeVee stations are supporting this and willing to put the liability of having chasers with their logos driving insanely just because some lawmaker was lobbied into dreaming this mess up. Do they not realize the liability they are putting themselves in? Not to mention the near-obsolescence of local media as it used to be.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Signs are already going up in Oklahoma!

 

[Warren Faidley]

Twitter WX is going crazy today in reference to #sb158. Loving it!

 

[Jeff Smith]

So they want to bring TV chasers into the "code 3" echelon. Ok, let's look at a few examples (that I have personally witnessed)...these are examples of TV chaser behavior over the years as I have evolved from being a chase tour owner/partner into a less well known spotter/part time chaser (such behavior has pushed me into semi-retirement). I wont mention names or stations to protect the idiots.

1. Getting "zero metered" by a chaser damn near running me off the road in a no passing zone in RFD blinding rain after dark.
2. Watching a TV chaser freak out in full panic mode on live TV after turning around and driving the wrong way on a turnpike, driving up an underpass embankment, and begging the TV met to track his location and tell him where he was in relation to the tornado.
3. TV chaser blocking the road in his famously wrapped truck so I couldn't pass to get closer to a rotating wall cloud (he wasn't even close to the action).
4. May 6, 2024, I was at home watching local media coverage of what was to be the Barnsdall tornado. A well known TV chaser was doing a live phoner and was at Skiatook telling people on live TV that he saw no rotation or anything of concern while the tornado was OTG barely to his east. I was screaming at the TV like a football fanatic yelling "you are looking the wrong way dumbass!"

The latter has almost prompted me to come out of retirement and offer my knowledge and experience to help these guys. That is still under consideration as I don't know how what I would have to say would be taken.

I am sure these situations have happened to many of you. Maybe if we started calling them out more, the behavior would change, I dont know.

Sorry if my post seems OT, but I think it is valid and if lawmakers are seeing this thread, maybe they need to know just exactly whom they are attempting to give the golden tickets to...