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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Senate panel is considering proposed legislation prohibiting organizations linked to abortion providers from teaching sex education in Texas schools. The contentious measure, sponsored by tea party Sen. Ken Paxton, was hailed by abortion opponents today as a way to "exclude Planned Parenthood" from Texas classrooms.

(Information in the following story is from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Shell and its affiliates plan to build a small-scale, natural gas-liquefaction plant in Geismar and one in Canada that will provide fuel for commercial customers. The Advocate reports the company said Tuesday it will install the Louisiana unit, which will supply LNG along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, to onshore exploration areas in Texas and Louisiana and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A proposal to ban texting behind the wheel is making progress in the Texas Capitol. The House Transportation Committee voted 6 to 1 in favor of the bill today, and now it moves to the full House for consideration. Texas has already banned any use of mobile devices by drivers under age 18.

DALLAS (AP) A tax preparer has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for filing hundreds of tax returns that falsely claimed a homebuyer tax credit for clients. Federal authorities say Cora Latrice Hopkins also must pay $1.7 million in restitution. She was sentenced yesterday following her guilty plea in November to filing a false claim with a federal agency.

(Information in the following story is from: Evansville Courier & Press, http://www.courierpress.com)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) Police in Evansville, Ind., want to find out who cashed a check for more than $6,000 intended to pay for repairs to a restored World War II troop landing ship. An employee of the LST 325 landing craft told police she mailed the check to Texas-based National Marine Services last month for the repairs, and it was cashed at a Texas bank. But three weeks later the company reported it not received the check.