That’s it! Rep. Talibdin “TD” El-Amin is sick and tired of people stealing other folks scrap metals. It’s getting ridiculous out there. Between the declining economy and the rising costs of metals people are pilfering scrap left and right.

It’s enough to drive a legislator to create a house bill declaring war on metal bandits. El-Amin filed the bill Tuesday with Rep. Rodney Hubbard as a chief co-sponsor.

“This is a real issue, that has caused an undue financial burden on residents in St. Louis, both North and South, and it’s our desire to address legislatively, those who steal and those who abet and condone this activity by accepting it”, states Representative El-Amin.

In a statement released Tuesday, El-Amin writes that these junkyard scofflaws are getting off with stripping gutters, siding, outdoor air-conditioning units and tailpipes. There is no metal they won’t steal and sell for scrap. Thieves are robbing folks metal-bare and El-Amin says HB 2543 is the cure. It “modifies and strengthens the existing law relating to scrap metal transactions.”

The bill also makes it a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense, and Class B for the second violation.

The bill calls for the establishment of a registry by collectors/dealers in junk or scrap metal that collects the name and address, place of business and driver’s license of the seller, full description of each purchase, including weight quantity. In addition to copper wire or cable, the proposed legislation adds any form of copper or copper alloy as scrap, refuse, recyclable waste, or surplus building materials to be maintained in a registry. It also requires that the seller’s license plate number of the vehicle in which materials are delivered is annotated; the bill further includes the registration of surplus building materials.

El-Aim says he’s been inundated with calls about citizens who’ve been robbed for their metals. According to the release, fixing what was stolen often costs as much as 25 times the value of what those bandits stole.