Bill targets storm chasers with licensure requirements [Oklahoma]

KFOR news ^ | 1/31/25 | Terré Gables, Tanner DeLeon

[CFW]

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Severe weather trackers in Oklahoma appear to be the target of a new state bill.

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

[CFW]

There is nothing the government will not tax and regulate.

Storm chasers provide a lot of information and research data in addition to giving early warnings to those at risk of tornadoes. Their predictions are more accurate than government funded meteorologists and more people are tuning into them for weather forecasts when tornadoes are likely. Government doesn't like competition.

[BenLurkin]

[Fury]

So… how do you know someone is a storm chaser?

Instruments attached to vehicle?

Driving in bad weather?

How?

I can see it now: police pull over a vehicle for having an anemometer protruding from the vehicle.

[Red Badger]

Let’s tax legislators that introduce stupid bills.............

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Dumbocrats . . .

[Eli Kopter]

Of course there would be a stiff registration fee.

[13Sisters76]

I wish someone, ANYONE, could give me one , even fairly good, reason why voting for ANY democrat is a good idea.
No one has taken me up on that in YEARS.

[Lockbox]

The government is just trying to prevent those in bad weather from being hurt….. 🤔🤔🤔…. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Magnum44]

[samiam5]

Storm chasers are more dangerous than storms.

[ducttape45]

This looks an attempt to “eliminate the competition,” and drive folks on Youtube like Ryan Hall out of business.

[OKSooner]

Exactly. Suppose just for argument that it might cut down on the thrill-seeking and rubbernecking right at exactly someone else's moment of loss... which would in fact be a good thing...

(I mean gee, there was a time back when the first "Twister" movie came out, of people traveling to western Oklahoma from... uh... "New England" to GO TO OKLAHOMA TO SEE THE TORNADOES!!"... and local "entrepreneurs" obliging the $$$ right out of them...)

how to enforce it? Public highways and roads, right?

[Magnum44]

not hard to spot 🤣

[bgill]

Next, they’ll make a “framework” (the flavor of the week word) for breathing and other bodily functions to tax them.

[Fury]

Good points.

[Fury]

What the…

[Magnum44]

Come on man! Florida man is harmless.

[yukong]

$500 the first year and $250 yearly renewal fee.

[eyedigress]

Fail.

The OTWRTR act of 2025 does not make a snazzy acronym.

This guy hates somebody that chases tornadoes.

[Magnum44]