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Panel weighs restoring tougher theft penalties; fiscal trade-offs and jail impacts debated
Summary
Sen. Barry Usher and supporters urged restoring theft penalties under $1,500 with proponents saying retailers and small businesses bear the cost; opponents and budget analysts warned the fiscal note projects rising state and county costs including required 30-day jail holds and larger correctional expenditures over time.
Senator Barry Usher opened testimony on Senate Bill 19 saying the bill would reverse post-2017 changes and “make crime crime again,” arguing earlier reforms reduced accountability for low-value thefts. “We’re just changing that again, bringing it back to the way it was before ’17,” Usher said.
Business and law-enforcement groups — including the Montana Retail Association, Montana Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association, Enterprise Holdings and the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association — testified in favor, telling the committee the bill would…
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