Statement of Mary Dixon, Legislative Director American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois RE: Final Passage of Senate Bill 2937 (Drones):

With today's vote on Senate Bill 2937, Illinois soon will have some of the most far-reaching regulation of the use of drones by law enforcement in the nation. This new bill builds on last year's enacted law, and ensures that law enforcement cannot simply turn to the growing army of private drone operators to conduct surveillance and evade the current law's regulations. We hope the Governor will quickly add these protections to Illinois law.

The emerging drone technology is a powerful surveillance tool. We must ensure that our laws keep current with this advancing technology in order to protect privacy in our state. This measure is consistent with our commitment to this process.