Legislation to increase penalties for the theft of catalytic converters and the use of a firearm in a carjacking advance from committee. River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot, who authored both bills referred to a case in East Baton Rouge where catalytic converters were stolen from 15 school busses.
“They’re valued at about $3,000 apiece and cost the taxpayers and the school district about $45,000 so it’s a huge problem,” said Talbot.
In Senate Bill 70 Businesses that purchase converters, like scrapyards would have to keep a record of who sold them the converters in an effort to discourage the illegal sale of the converters.
And to deter the crime of carjackings Talbot’s Senate Bill 161 will increase penalties when a firearm is involved in the car theft.
“Whoever commits the crime of carjacking with a firearm, or other dangerous weapons, shall be imprisoned to hard labor of not less than eleven years no more than twenty years, without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence,” said Talbot.
The two bills did receive opposition in committee, Attorney Sarah Whittington with the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana said the bills are repetitive and increasing the penalties for these specific crimes will be burdensome to the state.
“Raising mandatory minimums is going to increase the cost to the Department of Corrections, it’s going to increase the incarceration rate of this state and incarcerate people for a crime that’s already in the books,” said Whittington.
Both bills passed unanimously out of Senate Judiciary Committee C and head to the Senate floor.
Comments