Drone task force meets in Olympia trying to balance privacy, public safety

With lawmakers struggling to figure out how to deal with drones, a task force formed by Gov. Jay Inslee will meet Monday in Olympia for the first time to begin sorting through the complex issues.

The task force is composed of a diverse group that includes legislators, the ACLU, state agencies, law enforcement, industry and citizens.

“It will be melding together the right that the people have for privacy and the need to hold government accountable at the same time allowing new technology to in fact advance the public safety and protection that we all want,” says task force member Sen. Pam Roach (R-Auburn).

Gov. Inslee vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature earlier this year that would have regulated government use of drones. He also announced a 15-month moratorium on the use of unmanned aircraft by state agencies to give the Legislature more time to craft new rules.

“I want members of the public to feel confident their government is protecting them while not violating their rights in the process,” Inslee said following the veto.

The task force will focus exclusively on government use, but Roach said its work could help the Legislature craft policies that apply to the general public as well.

Just last week, a Seattle woman called police to report a drone flying outside her downtown upper-level apartment window. Police determined they had broken no laws.

A federal judge ruled earlier this year the remote-controlled aircrafts are legal because the FAA has not issued any rules governing model aircraft photography.

The FAA is working with law enforcement to further clarify rules for unmanned aircraft systems, the agency said in a news release last Monday.