The Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to increase penalties for crimes involving catalytic converters.
The measure makes illegal possession, sales, purchases and advertising of catalytic converters a class six felony, up from a misdemeanor.
Kelsey Lundy with Enterprise Rent-A-Car supports the bill, saying the issue has skyrocketed in the Valley in recent years.
“In 2019, there were seven reported catalytic converter thefts, and in 2021 that jumped to 901,” Lundy said.
Lundy said that number grew to more than a thousand between June 2021 and June 2022. The bill goes to the Senate Rules Committee next.
