St. Paul, MN -- This evening, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted to pass a pair of bills to increase the public safety and wellbeing of Minnesotans.
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 $10,000 for unlawful possession and sale.
“Catalytic converter theft harms Minnesotans’ ability to get to where they need to go, and their pocketbooks,” said Rep. Robert Bierman (DFL-Apple Valley). “I was glad to vote for this legislation to deter thieves and bad actors and help get to the root of this growing problem impacting our community.”
Nationally, catalytic converter thefts have increased from 3,389 in 2019 to 14,433 in 2020, to over 52,000 in 2021 (fifteen-fold increase since 2019). Minnesota ranks in the top five states in the nation 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.
The House also passed HF 16, which 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.
“Strong mental health is paramount to a healthy life and future,” Rep. Bierman said. “Minnesotans have told us that conversion ‘therapy’ is traumatizing and leads to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, and even suicide. Banning this dangerous and discredited practice will change lives, improve lives, and save lives.”
Both bills are traveling in the Minnesota Senate.
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