• Welcome to TalkWeather!
    We see you lurking around TalkWeather! Take the extra step and join us today to view attachments, see less ads and maybe even join the discussion.
    CLICK TO JOIN TALKWEATHER

Oklahoma Bill To Force Licenses To Storm Chasers

barcncpt44

barcncpt44

Member
Messages
288
Location
Anniston, AL
Special Affiliations
  1. SKYWARN® Volunteer
There is a bill in Oklahoma to require any storm chaser to have a license to storm chase in Oklahoma. SB 158 authored by Sen. Mark Mann (D- District 46), called the Oklahoma Emergency Weather Response and Tracking Regulatory Act of 2025, seeks to establish a framework for professional severe weather trackers in Oklahoma.

The requirements proposed in the bill are as follows:
  • Passing a criminal background check
  • Maintaining valid insurance for vehicles used in tracking
  • And having a letter of endorsement from a chief meteorologist or designated official
The bill would require a $500 license and $250 annual renewals.

Violations of the act can lead up to a $500.00 fine or revocation of the tracker’s license.

If the bill becomes law, it would take effect July 1, 2025.

Reed Timmer is not happy with this.

 
I certainly understand why this would be a issue, but at the same time, I do see why they're having to do this.
 
I understand the motivation for this, but I’m confused on how anyone would even identify someone who is storm chasing without a license (barring people who are stopped on the road, actively observing a storm) because I feel like it would be exceedingly easy to lie about it and say you just aren’t chasing.
 
slenker said:
I understand the motivation for this, but I’m confused on how anyone would even identify someone who is storm chasing without a license (barring people who are stopped on the road, actively observing a storm) because I feel like it would be exceedingly easy to lie about it and say you just aren’t chasing.
Click to expand...
That too unless the person has like a logo or something that specifies they're a chaser on their car. But yeah, I agree. In all honesty, though, if I ever get the chance to go chasing out there, I would rather go to Kansas or Nebraska.
 
slenker said:
I understand the motivation for this, but I’m confused on how anyone would even identify someone who is storm chasing without a license (barring people who are stopped on the road, actively observing a storm) because I feel like it would be exceedingly easy to lie about it and say you just aren’t chasing.
Click to expand...
I'm pro-Freedom and Liberty, but something needs to be done about chasers who endanger others. Might be hard to determine who is and who isn't a chaser every time, but if they've got a social media history of chasing the distinction becomes clearer. The results would depend heavily on good enforcement techniques and reasonable leniency which unfortunately I don't see as likely to happen. There's also a deeper question if the State being responsible if a detained person was harmed by foreseeable dangers as their licensing status was checked.

Very shaky ground legally, possibly being unconstitutional, but something clearly needs to be done regards those who endanger public safety while chasing. It's in the person's own best interest to be chasing safely which we've seen time and again doesn't always happen..
 
YouTube streamer Ryan Hall Y'all and others think the local TV stations in Oklahoma are behind the bill to eliminate competition.

 
In principle I disagree with this but in practice it might honestly be necessary. There are way too many people on the roads out there during these events and incidents like Rolling Fork have demonstrated the dangers of that. I'm not sure it's sustainable long-term for real-life severe weather to be a source for content creators and having people out there watching people's homes and lives get destroyed for profit rather than scientific purposes is ethically dubious to say the least. I assume this is probably unlikely to pass regardless.
 
Professional stormchasers are an asset to coverage. They are also assets to rescue and recovery efforts, and have proven that. But those are few in numbers.

I don't see how this could be effectively policed. First responders have bigger fish to fry when there is a tornado on the ground. There might be an immediate deterrent in casual chasing, but once word gets out that it isn't really policed all that effectively, the numbers will swell again.

With all of that said, they have to try something. There are way too many people out there, in the way.
 
Mike S said:
Professional stormchasers are an asset to coverage. They are also assets to rescue and recovery efforts, and have proven that. But those are few in numbers.

I don't see how this could be effectively policed. First responders have bigger fish to fry when there is a tornado on the ground. There might be an immediate deterrent in casual chasing, but once word gets out that it isn't really policed all that effectively, the numbers will swell again.

With all of that said, they have to try something. There are way too many people out there, in the way.
Click to expand...
Yeah this is going to be the undoing of this idea I think. Are you really gonna take law enforcement personnel away from their jobs during a natural disaster to enforce something like this? Even if it's a good idea in theory, it's probably not practical.

You have to admit though, outlaw chaser gangs would be a pretty good premise for the next Twister movie.
 
warneagle said:
You have to admit though, outlaw chaser gangs would be a pretty good premise for the next Twister movie.
Click to expand...
God please NO- NOT this idea. The problem we have now is mostly driven by chasing being made glamorous or attractive via social media and movies enticing the amateurs to try what looks so easy and relatively safe to do. You're daring the stupid to do this, and we know how the stupid will respond.

What we need is to somehow discourage unqualified chasing while supporting the professionals whose first goal is safety and working with the agencies who need accurate timely info. I don;'t know how to best accomplish that.

What I do know is that someday we're going to see a bunch of chasers who are all vying to get closest fall prey to a quickly changing situation they cannot escape because of their own collective actions. When that happens this proposed legislation will seem mild compared to what will happen then, and none of us wants that,
 
My thoughts on this...

I see why it's a good idea in theory given the sheer amount of social media-addicted wannabe Reed Timmers out there nowadays, but I don't see government legislation being a practical solution to this problem.

How do you enforce something like this? Perhaps most importantly to me, how do you differentiate chasers and spotters? Reports from actual spotters who properly report to the NWS (and reports from the public as well) are an essential part of warning dissemination and majorly contribute to keeping people safe.

If this legislation becomes law, I could definitely see it discouraging spotters from getting out there out of fear they will be stopped and fined while all of the spoiled rich kids not afraid of getting fined continue to do what they do.

As much as I hate to say this, I think it's a cold reality that it may take another situation resulting in chaser fatalities to knock any amount of sense into these social media wannabes. Kevin O'Leary once said on Shark Tank that "Protein is never wasted when a death occurs. It means that others will see what happened here, they'll learn from their mistakes, so they won't make the same mistakes. I don't mind sacrificing a couple of doctors if it means the next two doctors can make me money..."

Conversely, if someone believes something along the lines of "I don't mind sacrificing a couple of storm chasers whose deaths were the result of their own stupidity, if it means the rest of them will stop being so stupid"... I can't blame them.
 
So how is it determined who is able to be on the road and who is not? Back in my chasing days 90% of the issues I had was crossing paths with the Weather Channel convoy.
 
So it seems that none of you have read the actual bill. In its current form, it doesn't prohibit chasing unless licensed, it just provides for enhanced privileges if you're licensed. Those privileges are things like using emergency vehicle lighting, and entering areas that the police have closed. I still strongly disagree with this bill and hope it doesn't pass, but it's not a crackdown on chasers yet.
 
Trey has a breakdown of this bill. Considering other things that are going on, I just think this is funny more than anything. I haven't been on social media or the screens at all very much since the New Year due to family affairs, but I can only imagine what the response by all the chasers on Twitter looked like.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top