April 19--SACRAMENTO -- The state Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to direct Gov. Jerry Brown to attempt to consolidate two California efforts, including one led by Ventura County, to become one of the nation's six test sites for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The urgency bill, which now goes to the Senate, instructs the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, known as GO-Biz, to submit a unified state application to the Federal Aviation Administration by May 6.
Supporters said the proposal, which passed on a 58-1 vote, likely comes too late, since the FAA's deadline for submissions was in March. Still, a leader of the Ventura County-led application said the expression of support from the Legislature should be helpful.
"It may be too late, too little, to get a consolidation," said Bill Buratto, president of the Ventura County Economic Development Association. "But the positive piece is that it does document interest on the part of the Assembly to get one of those test sites in California."
The county-led group, called the Southern California Unmanned Systems Alliance, and a separate group led by local governments in the area around the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, each have submitted the first four stages of applications. The FAA, which has been charged by Congress with integrating unmanned aircraft into the nation's airspace by 2015, is expected to select the six test sites at the end of the year.
Economic analysts say the development of unmanned aerial systems, or drones, for commercial and civilian uses will become an $82 billion-a-year industry in the United States by 2025.
"We need more jobs; we need to bring more jobs to California," said Assemblyman Steve Fox, D-Palmdale, author of the bill approved Thursday. "That's just what we're going to do."
Several other states, including Texas and Florida, have submitted state-sponsored applications. Some lawmakers lamented that Brown's administration was slow to respond.
"California did not operate as a state," said Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield. "Submissions are already in line. I don't see how a new application will be accepted. It doesn't make us look good."
Buratto said, however, that the dual applications might in the end actually help California's chance of securing a test-site designation.
"We think it's to California's advantage to have two applications," he said. "Each one of us is taking a slightly different approach, and that gives the FAA more options."
He noted that Louis Stewart, a GO-Biz deputy director, visited with both applicants the week of April 8, including a visit to Camarillo on April 10.
Buratto said Brown could still weigh in on the issue, to the advantage of the California applicants.
"I believe if the governor were to come out and say he is supportive of a test site coming to California, that would be good for both applications," he said. "He doesn't have to take sides."
Buratto said both groups have pledged that if they are successful, they will reach out to the other to promote statewide involvement.
In other drone-related action in Sacramento this week, the Senate Public Safety Committee approved a bill by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Pacoima, that would add surveillance from unmanned aircraft to the state's criminal prohibitions on eavesdropping and invasion of privacy.
A related bill by Assemblyman Jeff Gorell, R-Camarillo, that would require law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant before using drones in the investigation of a crime, is scheduled to be heard by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Monday.
It was a concern about potential privacy violations that led Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, to cast the sole vote against the bill on Thursday.
"Why do we have American companies manufacturing things that can be used to spy on Americans?" he asked.
Copyright 2013 - Ventura County Star, Calif.
