• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Iowa lawmakers to consider new state restrictions for drones

Iowa lawmakers to consider new state restrictions for drones

January 18, 2018 By O. Kay Henderson

A House panel has begun reviewing a bill that would create a new state crime for flying a drone over a prison or jail in Iowa.

Representative Jarad Klein of Keota says after drones were caught carrying drugs, phones and weapons into prisons in several other states, it’s time to consider taking action in Iowa.

“Having a tool in the toolbox for the prosecutors — if they can catch them — to give them an additional charge is more what it’s about,” Klein says. “We’re not talking about having the guards in the towers being able to — with sniper rifles — shoot these things down.”

Klein led an effort in 2014 to try to establish state regulations for “unmanned aerial vehicles” — which most of us call drones, but it failed to clear the legislature. Klein says regulations from the Federal Aviation Administration have addressed many of the concerns about drones, but he says it’s worth considering safety-related issues at the state level, including flying a drone over drinking water supplies.

“That’s been one of the things we’ve talked about. Where are the places we need to make sure are fully secured? I mean, the jails, prisons — these are easy ones,” Klein says. “…We do have more infrastructure that we do need to be safeguarding, so that’s one of the things we need to talk about in the subcommittee and see what cities and counties come back and say. ‘We would like you to do something’ or ‘Absolutely not’ — and give us reasons.”

Just this week, New Jersey’s governor signed a law that makes it illegal to fly a drone while intoxicated in New Jersey. Klein says that proposal is not yet on the radar for Iowa lawmakers.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Legislature

Featured Stories

Reynolds signs her ‘school choice’ bill into law

Governor Reynolds touts 2024 Iowa Caucuses in Inaugural Address

University of Iowa grad presiding over U.S. House Speaker vote

Iowan who was oldest person in the U.S. dies

Iowa Lottery to start making some payments via debit cards

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa State names new receivers coach

No. 2 Iowa visits No. 1 Penn State in wrestling dual Friday night

Iowa’s Clark brings increased exposure to women’s basketball

No. 18 Iowa State women visit TCU

Northern Iowa men host Valparaiso

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC