Catalytic converter thefts have sky-rocketed by 400 percent in just the past four years -- so the Texas Senate wants state laws to crack down on the thieves.
The Texas Senate has passed a bill for harsher penalties for catalytic converter thefts.
One of the bill's sponsors, Houston state Senator Mayes Middleton says the measure puts stricter punishments not just for stealing them but even for just having one, saying "there is no good reason that you should be in possession of a catalytic converter."
And, it's not just a property crime, either. It's becoming more violent all the time -- an off-duty Harris County Deputy was shot and killed when he confronted three thieves going after the catalytic converter on his personal pick-up in a supermarket parking lot.
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