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Bill proposed to ban drones from Michigan State Capitol

Posted at 1:31 PM, Oct 08, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-08 13:31:41-04

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State Capitol may soon become another area where you can’t fly your drone.

State Senator Rick Jones introduced legislation that would prohibit the operating of unmanned aerial vehicles within the airspace above the Michigan State Capitol Historic Site without permission from the Capitol Commission.

“As drones become larger, faster and more numerous, they are increasingly becoming a risk to the safety of the public, which is my main concern,” said Jones, R-Grand Ledge, in a press release. “We don’t need drones flying around the Capitol and possibly crashing into visiting families or students or damaging the historic building.”

Flying a drone around the Capitol is already banned by the Capitol Commission, but the commission expressed the desire to have an actual state law enacted.

SB 549 says that anyone breaking the drone ban would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in prison and/or a fine of up to $500.