St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed several bills off the House floor, including House File 30, placing restrictions on the purchase and possession of catalytic converters, and House File 16, banning the practice of “conversion therapy” on children and vulnerable adults.
State Rep. Brad Tabke (DFL - Shakopee), in addition to co-authoring HF 30, voted to pass both bills.
“I want to thank Shakopee’s Chief Tate for joining us at the State Capitol to speak to the importance of combating catalytic converter theft and advocating for the provisions in our bill,” said Rep. Tabke. “It’s going to take all levels of government working together to address this issue, and our bill puts us on the right path.”
HF 30 seeks to crack down on the theft of catalytic converters by prohibiting anyone from possessing a used, unattached catalytic converter unless the owner has the vehicle identification number (VIN) for the vehicle, and the date the converter was removed from the vehicle. It prohibits the sale and purchase of catalytic converters by anyone other than registered scrap metal dealers, and would impose a fine of up to $1,000 for unlawful possession and sale.
Minnesota ranks in the top five for catalytic cover thefts. In November of 2022, a federal takedown of a catalytic converter theft ring of over a half-billion dollars included more than a dozen search warrants across Minnesota.
“Medical experts, survivors, and friends of those impacted by the practice of conversion therapy have made it clear - this ‘therapy’ is nothing more than a damaging pseudo-science that only serves to further stigmatize and harm people,” Rep. Tabke said. “It’s time for Minnesota to stand with science and support our LGBTQ+ neighbors.”
HF 16 would ban “conversion therapy” for minors and vulnerable adults and remove funding from Minnesota’s Medical Assistance (MA) for the practice. Conversion therapy has been identified by the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatry Association as a dangerous and discredited practice that has traumatized many LGBTQ+ Americans.
Both bills passed with bipartisan support. Video of today’s floor debate can be found on the House Public Information YouTube channel.
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