NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed three crime bills Thursday. The bills target retail crime, gun purchases and catalytic converter thefts.
House Bill 234 – Will allow prosecutors to combine the value or merchandise stolen from retailers over the course of 90 days. The hope is the law makes it easier to pursue felony charges instead of misdemeanors.
House Bill 306 – Cracks down on guns bought where the buyer intends to give that gun to someone who is not allowed to have it. The bill would make straw purchasing a fourth degree felony.
Senate Bill 133 – Seeks to address theft by requiring secondhand metal dealers to keep records of the converters they buy. The idea is that by increasing regulations, would-be thieves might think twice before cutting the valuable metal off of an unsuspecting vehicle.
