Reactions to Oklahoma storm chasing license bill passing first State House committee vote

Read also: Storm chaser licensing and regulation? These legislators want to see it happen. (January 31st, 2025)

I'm going to put State Rep. Fetgatter's press release first, then follow up underneath with some comments of my own and from storm chasers on the legislation.

Fetgatter Passes Storm Chasing Licensing Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 6th) – Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, on Tuesday passed a bill in committee that would allow professional storm chasers to obtain licensing through the state that will allow them special accommodations while they are tracking severe weather.

House Bill 2426 passed the House Business Committee 9 to 0. It will now be eligible to be considered in the Committee on Commerce & Economic Development Oversight.

"Tornadoes do a tremendous amount of damage in our state to families, homes, businesses and other structures," Fetgatter said. "Storm chasers provide an invaluable service in keeping the public informed about the track of a storm, often providing the first warning for people to take cover. This undoubtedly saves lives."

Fetgatter said the bill is still a work in progress as he gains further input from stakeholders. It could be amended before its next committee hearing or before it comes to the House floor for a vote. He stressed, however, that nothing in the measure would change how storm chasers – even amateurs – are able to operate today.

HB2426 would simply create an optional severe weather tracker license for those who are professionally employed by a media outlet or affiliated research program at specified universities. This would allow licensed storm trackers to be treated as emergency responders during severe weather events. The measure would authorize them to activate flashing emergency lights on their vehicles so they could proceed through red traffic lights and travel on closed roads and highways. Licenses would be issued by the Oklahoma Insurance Department with a fee not to exceed $500 and a renewal fee of $250.

Fetgatter said last year, tornado sirens sounded in the cities of Okmulgee and Morris in his House district, but weather radar had picked up the storms too late, and residents already were in danger. Had it not been for the quick action of a local storm tracker, residents would not have known to take shelter, he said. 

Fetgatter said he too has been known to chase storms in his pickup truck, and he's supportive of anyone exercising their right to do this. But he sees value in offering this professional license for those with verified experience.

"We love storm chasing in Oklahoma. We've made movies about storm chasing in this state. Nothing in this bill will stop this most American of rights," Fetgatter said. "But we have to be able to give professional severe weather trackers the ability to chase storms without being impeded."

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Alright. When I posted about the filing of this bill late last month, I said this in comment on the legislation and idea:

Weather has always been something of a hobby for me, and when I was a teenager I attended numerous storm spotter trainings put on by the Nation Weather Service's Tulsa office. Together with a friend, we signed up as volunteer storm spotters with the county emergency management department. No license, no fee, no cost. Seems like some sort of similar arrangement could be worked out with the state emergency management department rather than creating a $500 license.

Rather than creating a costly license system, perhaps explore something along this line.

News9's Val Castor sounds supportive:

Much of the storm chasing community is opposed to the legislation.

Good morning. #sb158 update.

There continues to be a lot of things going on behind the scenes. A lot of the better-known chasers are finally coming online. This is going to be a day of organization.

Several news stations in OK are pushing this bill really hard. At least one… pic.twitter.com/VQT6pZPTTJ

— Warren Faidley - The Cyclone Cowboy (@Stormchaser) February 5, 2025

The face of media is changing. The growth of new media and online sources has changed how people consume news, and even weather. Several prominent storm chasers did a live discussion of the bill on YouTube. State Rep. Fetgatter popped on as a listener, and was actually brought on to engage in a dialogue with the chasers. It's a lengthy video, but does demonstrate the concern among the storm chasing community.