Committee tables bill clarifying livestock‑larceny penalties after amendment discussions
A bill proposed clarifications to the criminal code’s treatment of livestock theft and firearm theft and would have enabled prosecutors to charge in the aggregate; after debate over stacking penalties and aligning felony tiers, the committee accepted friendly drafting changes but ultimately voted to table the bill for further work.
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Senator Ezell presented Senate Bill 381 to clarify the criminal code’s treatment of livestock theft and to define certain terms such as “livestock” and “head of livestock.” The sponsor said the measure responded to judicial questions about how prosecutors should charge thefts involving multiple animals and noted that the economic value of livestock can be substantial — a bred cow worth roughly $2,800 per head and even pull‑type chickens valued at more than $40 each in current market conditions.
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