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Should it be a felony to steal a $35 goat?

A senate bill being heard today in the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee - SB 1163 by Seliger - to me is a classic case study of how the road to hell (or at least bad public policy) is frequently paved with good intentions.Sen. Seliger's bill would make it a felony to steal a single goat, sheep, swine or any other type of livestock, no matter what its value. Rep. Lois Kolkhorst is carrying the bill in the House. Judging from the witness list, this is a special-interest backed bill coming from the livestock industry.On the Senate floor, Seliger defended the bill as deterrence against cattle rustlers but it's actually written much broader than that. Does it make sense to give somebody a life-long "felony" tag for stealing a goat? Searching Craigslist I found a "Nigerian Dwarf Buck Goat" for sale in Caldwell, TX for $35...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on April 29, 2009 (boomark / email).