Michelle Cole, January 23, 2009
SALEM -- House Democrats pledged Thursday to work on legislation that would get tough on both the metal thieves who are dismantling everything from cemeteries to school bleachers and the scrap dealers who buy the stolen goods.
Every week communities across Oregon are hit by metal theft: cars stripped of their catalytic converters, irrigation systems dismantled, and telephone lines stripped of their wires, said Rep. Tina Kotek, D-Portland, during a news conference Thursday.
Three bills were introduced in the House on Thursday aimed at curbing the problem.
Kotek's measure, House Bill 2422, bans the sale or purchase of a catalytic converter unless the seller or purchaser has a permit issued by the Department of Transportation. Two other bills, House Bill 2421 and House Bill 2423, propose stricter penalties for metal thieves and require scrap metal businesses to maintain records of purchase.
