I started writing this blog post yesterday afternoon, while sitting in the Judiciary Committee hearing room at the Maine State Legislature. I was waiting for the third committee work session on our proposed restrictions on the use of surveillance drones, and I had a plan: any time that I am sitting in a committee hearing waiting for my bill, and I take out my laptop to do work, then my bill comes up almost as soon as my laptop turns on. Sure enough. . . 

Now it is Friday, and the Judiciary Committee has not yet come to an agreement about the appropriate level of restrictions for drones (maybe next week). I'm still optimistic for the bill's chances, and more than that I'm optimistic about the improvement of privacy protection across the country. Yesterday, while the Maine Legislature Judiciary Committee was discussing drone regulation, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations was discussing electronic record privacy. There seems to be some positive movement in D.C. as well. You can read about the reason for the congressional hearing here, and you can read about my friend Catherine Crump's contribution to that hearing here.

For those of you who would like to be a part of the fight for increased privacy protection, the Maine Legislature Judiciary Committee will hold public hearings next Thursday, May 2 on three important bills: LD 1377: An Act To Protect Cellular Telephone Privacy; LD 313: An Act to Create the Maine Online Privacy Protection Act; and LD 1194: An Act to Protect Social Media Privacy in School and the Workplace. The hearings start at 1:00 pm.

As for drones, the Judiciary Committee will hold its next work session on the bill on Wednesday, May 1. You can come to the Statehouse to watch the discussion, or you can listen at home through the Judiciary Committee audio feed.