Bill Aimed at Curbing Copper Wire Theft Gets First Senate Committee Hearing

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  A day after a Minnesota House committee heard a bill to require a license for people to sell copper wire, a similar bill got its first hearing in a Senate committee.

The crime wave that has darkened city streets closely resembles the epidemic of catalytic converter thefts that spurred the Legislature to act last year. Lawmakers successfully slowed those thefts by creating a record-keeping system for the sale of scrap metals and introducing criminal penalties specifically for people caught with the stolen auto parts.

St. Paul city officials are now testifying in support of a bill to keep copper wire theft at bay, saying the past approach worked for catalytic converters because they’re uniquely traceable, often by serial numbers. But with copper wire, it’s nearly impossible to prove the materials were stolen.

“As far as the legal system goes, it’s unverifiable and impossible for us to be able to show where that wire came from,” said Kurt Hallstrom, deputy chief of operations for the St. Paul Police Department.

St. Paul officials argue it will be much easier to track licenses than the stolen goods themselves.

“The folks who have licenses can sell copper,” said Angie Wiese, St. Paul’s Safety and Inspections director. “If you have a license and you are found that you’re selling copper illegally, then you no longer have a license.”

As the bill stands, that license comes with a $250 price tag and has to be renewed yearly — a chief concern for Jeremy Estenson, the attorney representing the Institute of Scrap Metal Industries.

“The side effect, we believe — particularly at the $250 suggested license — is going to be at a cooling effect on recycling,” Estenson said.

Some Republican lawmakers also argued the license fee won’t be worth the trouble.

“My leftover wire and stuff is going to go in the garbage instead of getting recycled,” said Sen. Jeff Howe(R-Rockville).

Bill author Sandy Pappas(DFL-St. Paul), insisted the taxpayer cost of continuously repairing streetlights is higher.

“It might just be worth it, and I would still hope that people would recycle them for free,” Pappas said.

Overall, the bill has huge backing, with letters of support coming from electrical workers, Xcel Energy, the Chiefs of Police Association and 38 mayors from across the state.

The bill passed through the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee during Tuesday’s hearing and was referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

 Courtesy: www.kstp.com