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The Texas Legislature is moving ahead with a series of bills intended to crack down on catalytic converter thefts. Three Senate bills were filed in response to the fatal shooting of Harris County Deputy Darren Almendarez by three men who were stealing the catalytic converter from his personal car last year. The three bills would make catalytic converter thefts a felony in Texas, with stiffer penalties if the thief has a gun. Last Thursday, the bill got a favorable vote from the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee in the Texas House.