What's different is the enforcement of punishments. quote from https://saputo.law/criminal-law/texas/theft-crimes/theft/ https://saputo.law/criminal-law/texas/

What's different is the enforcement of punishments. quote from https://saputo.law/criminal-law/texas/theft-crimes/theft/ https://saputo.law/criminal-law/texas/theft-crimes/theft/: * Theft under $100 is a Class C Misdemeanor (punishable by a fine up to $500). * Theft between $100 and $750 is a Class B Misdemeanor (punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2000 fine). If the value of the stolen property is under $100, it is still a Class B Misdemeanor theft if you have been previously convicted of theft of if the property stolen was an identification card like a driver’s license. * Theft between $750 and $2,500 is a Class A Misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4000 fine. In California, you are not likely to see any jail time (and often you will not see any prosecution at all) for the same crime that will be prosecuted in Texas. It's not about felonies per se, but the general attitude towards punishing crime.