Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would have made it illegal to fly drones at low elevations over private property.
The measure's backers cited privacy concerns, including fears that kids could be photographed in their own backyards. But in his veto message, the governor wrote the measure could expose both hobbyists and commercial drone operators to "burdensome litigation."
Capital Public Radio's Ben Adler says the bill faced some opposition:
"When the bill came up for its final vote on the floor of the state Senate recently, it hung about a couple votes short for a while, amid concerns raised by the tech industry, companies like Amazon, which want to be able to deliver its packages by drone and would like to deliver them as the crow flies - or as the drone flies, you might say."
The bill's author says she's disappointed in the governor's veto but hopes to continue working on the issue next year.
Separate measures that would ban drones from flying over schools, prisons and wildfires could still become law in the coming weeks.
- Capital Public Radio Staff
SB 142 Veto Message
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