ST. PAUL, Minn. – Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) said today that the Senate has passed Senator John Marty’s (DFL-Roseville) bill to deal with the fast-rising number of costly catalytic converter thefts from cars and trucks across Minnesota.
The measure passed with a bipartisan vote of 40 to 25 Wednesday. It has been a top priority for the Senate DFL majority.
“This problem is hitting thousands of unwitting victims all across Minnesota and costing them thousands of dollars – and substantial time – to replace,” said Majority Leader Dziedzic. “I commend Senator Marty for his years of persistence in pushing this important protection for Minnesotans. Today we got it across the Senate finish line in a bipartisan manner.”
Sen. Dziedzic said Minnesota now ranks 3rd in the nation for catalytic converter theft and the state saw a 33 percent increase in catalytic converter theft claims, with an average cost of $2,600 to replace. The measure passed in the Senate today is supported by law enforcement, auto theft investigators, and the insurance industry.
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