Proposed Oklahoma bill would allow destruction of drones

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Proposed Oklahoma legislation heading to the Senate would exempt property owners from civil action if they destroy drones not regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Tulsa World  reports the proposed bill, authored by Republican Sen. Ralph Shortey, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with a unanimous vote Feb. 21.
Shortey says the measure doesn’t mention how the drone should be taken down, whether it is with a gun, a net or another device. He says the measure doesn’t exonerate a person participating in a criminal activity, such as discharging a weapon where it’s prohibited except for self-defense.
Stephen McKeever serves as chairman of the governor’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Council, which opposes the legislation. He says drones are classified as an aircraft and that it’s against federal law to shoot down an aircraft.