Ala. House votes to make looting a felony crime

[dixiegrrrrl]

I like the "idea"....in theory.
But given it is Ala, I wonder how the reality will work out.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WTW) — In reaction to thefts that occurred after April tornadoes killed at least 240 people in the state, House lawmakers Tuesday passed a bill to make the act of looting a crime in Alabama.

The bill passed the House 102-0 and now goes to the Senate for debate.

The sponsor, Republican Rep. John Merrill of Tuscaloosa, said the bill was inspired by last year's tornadoes that ripped across Alabama and caused massive destruction across the state from the Mississippi line to the Georgia line and from just north of Montgomery to the Tennessee line. One of the hardest hit areas was Merrill's hometown, Tuscaloosa, where 53 deaths have been attributed to a tornado that flattened some neighborhoods.

Merrill said some people were victimized twice, once when the storm hit and again when looters stole their belongings.

http://www.postcrescent.com/usatoday/article/38845663?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s