Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Blake DowlingFebruary 9, 2019

A battle is being waged right now. Robots and drones are at war with the status quo; what you think is the norm is not. Did you know there is a dialogue going on about the rights of robots? That’s a fact. I guess it was inevitable, but (to me) it just seems slightly ludicrous. […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 6, 2019

A bill designed to allow law enforcement to use unmanned aircraft as a “tool in the toolbox” passed a House committee Wednesday morning.

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2018

For the third straight Legislative Session, state Rep. Clay Yarborough, a Jacksonville Republican in his second term, filed legislation about drones. His new bill (HB 75) would allow law enforcement to use unmanned aircraft as a “tool in the toolbox” to get perspective on traffic accidents, to collect evidence at a crime scene, and to assist in […]

Phil AmmannAugust 30, 2017

To help assess the impact of Hurricane Harvey, ravaging the Gulf Coast since Saturday, AT&T will use a fleet of drones to get a better look at damage throughout Southeast Texas. Twenty-five drones, part of AT&T’s Network Disaster Recovery Team, will be used to inspect cell towers, helping assess the storm’s effect on the AT&T […]

Staff ReportsJune 26, 2017

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Gov. Rick Scott on Friday approved the Legislature’s “Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act,” which gives the state authority to regulate “personal delivery devices (PDDs) and unmanned aircraft systems.” A “personal delivery device” is a machine for use on sidewalks, usually not traveling more than 10 miles per hour. Photo credit: Starship Technologies London-based Starship Technologies, for instance, makes a six-wheeled “self-driving delivery […]

Blake DowlingFebruary 7, 2017

Yay sports! Or “yay ball,” as one of my techie staff members used to say (she had zero interest in football, etc.) Yay sports, indeed. This weekend was awesome for sports, with the most thrilling Super Bowl ever. And I also attended the Kentucky-Florida basketball game; what a battle in the brand-new Gville arena. If […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 24, 2017

A bill filed Tuesday would allow delivery drones to operate in Florida. The legislation (SB 460), however, focuses on ground drones, or “personal delivery devices.” Such a unit is defined as a “motorized device for use primarily on sidewalks and crosswalks at a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour, which weighs 50 pounds or less excluding […]

Jim RosicaOctober 24, 2016

The state’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) will ask lawmakers next session to consider legislation to “allow law enforcement to use drones for traffic crash management.” The proposed bill is part of a “legislative concepts” package Executive Director Terry Rhodes plans to present at Tuesday’s Florida Cabinet meeting. The state law governing drones, the Freedom […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 5, 2016

Republican candidates for Senate in Florida are warming to the policy positions of Donald Trump when it comes to “building the wall.” Manatee homebuilder Carlos Beruff is the latest, as evidenced by his recent interview with 880 The Biz in Miami. Responding to questioning about the immigration problem from Latin America — which boiled down to “Are […]

Melissa RossApril 22, 2016

Jacksonville and Key West are two sites being considered by the Navy as possible locations for its new squadron of unmanned aerial surveillance drones. The three sites the Navy is considering are Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Naval Air Station Key West in the Florida Keys and the NASA Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. […]

Tag: drones

Blake Dowling: Droning on and on

Police drone bill clears House panel

Legislation to expand police drone use raises civil liberties questions

AT&T deploying drones to assess Harvey damage

Governor signs drone regulation bill

Blake Dowling: Drones, drones everywhere — Super Bowl to Prison

Jeff Brandes bill would legalize delivery drones

State’s DHSMV seeking permission to use drones

Carlos Beruff joins Carlos Lopez-Cantera in supporting a Mexican border wall

Jacksonville, Key West being considered as Navy surveillance drone sites