Government Drone Limits Face Rocky Future In Colorado

DENVER (AP/CBS4) - A proposal to limit drone surveillance by law enforcement in Colorado appears headed for defeat after a raft of government officials lined up to oppose it Tuesday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee took hours of testimony from opponents of the bill, including representatives from several parts of the administration who indicated a veto would be in the offing if the bill isn't changed.

Senators delayed final action on the bill until Wednesday.

"We're going a little sideways," warned Jay Lindell, speaking on behalf of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade. He lauded drones' "transformational capability."

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"We have not even recognized the full potential of where we can go with economic activity," he told senators.

The bill, which has Democratic and Republican sponsors, had already been significantly watered down.

The original proposal would have limited private and commercial drone use; the bill was amended Tuesday to apply only to government officials operating drones on private land.

The weaker limits still are needed, argued one of the sponsors, Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton.

Drones can be used "without needlessly sacrificing our privacy and liberty," she argued.

She said "they can be outfitted with any technology imaginable; cameras, infrared night vision, facial recognition or heat sensors."

The measure faces a tough road, though. Only one supporter testified in favor of the drone limits: the head of Colorado's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"It is possible to regulate this industry and not have them run away and never come to an economic development agreement in Colorado again," Denise Maes said.

On the other side, law enforcement representatives said police don't need limits on the use of drones.

"We're always cognizant of civil rights and civil liberties," said Dana Reynolds, head of the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

The bill would require law enforcement to have a warrant before using a drone in many cases, unless there is imminent threat to life or risk of a terrorist attack.

The bill also bans government drones from using of "facial recognition technology or other biometric matching technology."

Twenty-six states have some limits on public or private drone use, Maes said.

But drone limits have also run into trouble in state legislatures. Wyoming lawmakers rejected police drone limits earlier this month, and a New Mexico version faces an uncertain future.

LINK: Senate Bill 59

- By Kristen Wyatt, AP Writer

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