The Virginia Senate voted Thursday to increase the Commonwealth’s grand larceny threshold from $200.00 to $500.00. Senator David Sutterlein’s (R- Roanoke County) S.B. 105 which incorporated S.B. 21 introduced by Senator Scott Surovell (D- Prince Willams County); S.B. 102 introduced by Senator Jeremy McPike (D- Manassas); S.B. 138 introduced by Senator Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax); S.B. 221 introduced by Senator Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax).
The bill passed on a 36-3 vote, with all Senate Democrats in support.
Senator Petersen said “The threshold of $200.00 was set in 1980. If you take a look at inflation alone, $200.00 in 1980 is about $660.00 today. The time is now for Virginia’s grand larceny threshold to be at on par with the rest of the United States. Right now Virginia has the lowest threshold in the United States, and we must change this.”
Senator Saslaw said “Not only is our current threshold archaic, but it is unethical. No Virginian should be marked as a felon for stealing a pair of sunglasses.”
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