September 29, 2014

Governor vetoes bill that would have limited police use of drones

Governor vetoes bill that would have limited police use of drones
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ln-governor-vetoes-bill-to-limit-police-use-of-drones-20140928-story.html

Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday vetoed a bill that would have required law enforcement agencies to obtain warrants to use drones for surveillance.

Brown, in his veto message, said that although there may be some circumstances when a warrant is appropriate, the bill went too far.

The measure appeared to impose restrictions on law enforcement that go beyond federal and state constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizures and the right to privacy, the governor stated.

The bill, AB 1327, would have required the government to secure a warrant from a judge before using surveillance drones except in cases of environmental emergencies such as oil or chemical spills. Three other states have placed a moratorium on drone use by state and local agencies

Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo), the bill’s author, had argued that the expanded use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, by law enforcement has pushed the boundaries of the public’s reasonable expectation of privacy, triggering a need for protection.

Gorell said the governor's veto was "very disappointing."

September 27, 2014

Jeb Bush has announced he will run, Romney and Hillary are seriously considering it; The Donald too.

Are we in election rerun season?