North Carolina Senate passes legislation mandating harsher penalties for utility damage
Fox News
The North Carolina Senate passed legislation for harsher penalties for damaging utility equipment. This decision comes after the shootings that cut power to 45,000 homes and businesses.
The proposal would create a new statute making it a high-grade felony to purposefully damage or attempt to damage an energy facility, including those that transmit or distribute electricity or fuel, and any associated hardware, software or digital infrastructure.
Sen. Tom McInnis, a Moore County Republican and primary sponsor, described statewide efforts to restore power to his district last December as residents struggled to stay warm and healthy.
Attacks have persisted in North Carolina after the Moore County shootings, he said, noting a January substation attack in Randolph County. The Carolinas and Pacific Northwest have become hotspots for attacks on critical infrastructure in recent years.