Telecoms, utilities and law enforcement urge tougher penalties after wave of fiber cuts and metal thefts

Chairman Goodman on Tuesday convened the House Community Safety Committee for a work session on theft and vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure, where industry and law‑enforcement witnesses described repeated, often brazen cuts to fiber and copper lines and called for legal and operational changes to reduce outages and the cost of repairs.

The testimony focused on the scale of the problem and why witnesses say existing laws and enforcement practices have not stopped the incidents. "Deliberate destruction of communications infrastructure is far more than just simple vandalism," said Mark Vasconi, who identified himself as a former director at the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and the State Broadband Office. "Increasing the classification of these crimes to a class C felony is justified as it is commensurate with the impacts to Washingtonians and the state's public interest."

Why it matters: Witnesses said cuts to aerial fiber and stolen copper have interrupted 911 and other critical services at hospitals, military facilities and first responders; they said repeated outages also divert money from network expansion and force utilities and providers to…