The joint judiciary committee discussed a bill that would prohibit aircrafts like drones to fly over or near prisons. This would include pictures or footage obtained without intent to commit another crime; like if you flew a drone close to a correctional facility by mistake.

Dan Shannon, director of the state Department of Corrections, said he automatically assumes that these aircraft are being used for surveillance or to deliver contraband.

“The issue is the introduction of contraband, as well as live surveillance that jeopardizes the safety of those inmates,” he said.

He said there's no way to know if a drone is being used for illicit activities or by a news station in the public interest.

Teton County Representative Mike Yin offered an amendment that would require correction institutions to make a policy to vet media outlets, especially in times of emergency. But it was not approved.

That’s because, if passed, the Department of Corrections could make their own policies on how to vet media outlets interested in flying drones in penal airspace.

The judiciary committee chair Tara Nethercott said there needs to be a balance between what the Department of Corrections says it needs to keep inmates safe and the rights of the media to act in the public interest.

“The fourth arm of government is the media to make sure the public is aware of what's going on in our penal institutions as well as the safety and security of those penal institutions themselves. I do think that the bill strives to address all those concerns and balance them carefully, ” she said.

Albany County Representative Karlee Provenza asked the bill to be discussed in an upcoming meeting to address questions about the rights of free speech but the draft of the bill passed without amendments.