ALBANY (AP) — A new law strengthening reporting rules for people who sell scrap metal has failed to curb metal theft, so Rep. Andy Orson says he will ask the 2009 Legislature to tackle the issue again.

The Albany Democrat was a co-sponsors of the bill last year.

“Metal theft is increasing,” Olson said. “The bottom line is I don’t think the bill we passed is very effective.”

He and other mid-valley legislators have scheduled a public forum to discuss metal theft Thursday at the Albany Senior Center.

Olson said he wants to explore other ways to curb thefts of metal that include electrical wire, aluminum irrigation pipes and steel. Many metal thieves are thought to be meth addicts who sell the metal for drug money.

Olson has mentioned as possibilities such as banning cash payments for scrap metal sales and instead paying sellers by mailed check and imposing a waiting period between sale and payment.

Washington state, Olson said, has a seven-day waiting period, but said that may be too long.

Licenses could frequent deliverers of scrap metal to avoid the waiting period. Olson said he hoped to explore that idea with sheriffs, who might be issuing the licenses.

He suggested making metal theft a Class C felony punishable by up to a year in prison and a $250,000 fine. Olson said that was in the original version of last year’s bill but it was stripped out in committee.

The Thursday meeting will include Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller and Albany Police Chief Ed Boyd. Other speakers are Jeff Stone from the Oregon Association of Nurseries and Jay Burcham of Burcham’s Metals in Albany.

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Information from: Albany Democrat-Herald, http://www.dhonline.com