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Committee hears push to reverse 2017 theft changes as retailers, law enforcement back SB19; advocates warn of jail expansions
Summary
Senate Bill 19 would raise penalties for theft and restore mandatory county jail time for certain misdemeanor thefts; the House Judiciary hearing on March 10 drew retailers, county attorneys and sheriffs in favor and civil‑justice groups opposed.
Senate Bill 19, described by its sponsor as a roll‑back of changes enacted in 2017, drew competing testimony Thursday about whether tougher theft penalties would reduce retail crime or simply increase incarceration of poor people.
Sponsor Sen. Barry Usher told the House Judiciary Committee the bill restores higher penalties for theft and removes the dollar threshold from the statute’s “common scheme” definition. He said House Bill 133 in 2017 unintentionally incentivized criminals because misdemeanor penalties were limited — creating a situation in which organized thieves could steal up to a threshold…
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