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Copper theft bill passes out of house committee

By WEEK Producer
February 8, 2012 Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 10:49 PM CDT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.-- A bill trying to stop the rash of copper thefts in the state is making its way through the legislature.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Mike Unes, passed unanimously out of the house judiciary committee Wednesday. It aims to create harsher penalties for those caught stealing copper to sell for scrap.

Over the summer, thieves focused on air conditioners. This fall, a thief stole the copper sword from Lincoln's tomb in Springfield and the crimes keep evolving.

"We have farmers in the district who had tens of thousands of dollars in damage because their irrigation systems were stolen," said State Representative Mike Unes. "That thief needs to be responsible not just for the copper they're taking but they need to be responsible for the amount of damage they're causing."

The bill also calls on recyclable metal dealers to keep records of all purchases of copper and not to buy the metal from suspicious sources.

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