In Florida, law enforcement officers last year complained to the state senate that a ban on state-funded agencies operating Chinese-made drones left them with costlier aircraft that didn’t perform as well. That prompted state lawmakers to appropriate $25 million to help government-run drone programs acquire compliant models.

Lawmakers in Washington are seeking to ban new sales of drones from two dominant Chinese manufacturers, arguing they could be used to spy on Americans and that the low-cost models are hurting the U.S.

North Carolina farmer Russell Hedrick is critical of lawmakers pushing for a ban of Chinese manufactured drones, which he uses on his fields to increase efficiency and cut costs. (AP video: Erik Verduzco,