Governor Walz ceremonially signs anti-catalytic converter theft bill

Governor Walz ceremonially signed a bill cracking down on catalytic converter theft this afternoon.

The bill was already signed into law last week, but the governor was joined by members of law enforcement during the signing ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

“There [are] things we can do to both make it harder to do some of these things and then sending a very strong message of accountability. If you’re a person either stealing these or buying these catalytic converters, there needs to be a harsh penalty for it,” said Walz.

The bill requires anyone buying a catalytic converter to keep detailed records of who they bought it from, and people without proper documentation could face criminal penalties.

RELATED: Minnesota anticipated current wave of auto thefts. Then lawmakers scrapped a tool to fight it.

This concludes a legislative push that lawmakers have debated since 2015.

RELATED: Metro school buses’ catalytic converters stolen, following national trend