Current Articles for October 03, 2024

The Legislative Reference Library produces a weekly list of current journal articles for members of the legislative community. Each week, librarians select and abstract articles of interest to the legislature from the latest issues of over 300 journals, newsletters, state documents, and trade publications. Electronic copies of the Current Articles list are distributed to legislative offices each Thursday.

The Legislative Reference Library is located on the second floor of the State Capitol building in Room 2N.3. For more information, please call the Library at 512-463-1252.

• What role does state government play in funding teacher pensions? By Jean-Pierre Aubry. Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, September 2024, pp. 1-11.
  Presents a primer on state government spending on teacher retirement benefits. Finds teacher pension costs have doubled as a share of payroll since 2001. Identifies Texas as one of the 35 states that explicitly fund teacher pensions, and notes the Texas state share of teacher pension costs is 46 percent.
  See: https://crr.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IB_24-20_.pdf
  
• A quick guide to SNAP eligibility and benefits (2024). Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, September 30, 2024, pp. 1-6.
  Provides an overview of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Summarizes the SNAP eligibility and benefit calculation rules in effect for federal fiscal year 2025, which began in October 2024.
  See: https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/11-18-08fa.pdf
  
• In a gun-friendly state, parental liability looms following school shooting. By Patrik Jonsson. Christian Science Monitor, September 2024, pp. 8-9.
  Examines the criminal prosecution of the parents of school shooters in Georgia and Michigan. Delves into the push to hold parents criminally liable when their children become shooters.
  See: https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2024/0912/georgia-school-shooting-parental-liability
  
• Don't scrap standardized tests. Make them fairer. By Nicholas Lemann. Chronicle of Higher Education, September 20, 2024, pp. 32-35, 37.
  Discusses the use of standardized tests in the admissions process for universities and colleges.
• Los Angeles Unified's AI meltdown: 5 ways districts can avoid the same mistakes. By Alyson Klein. Education Week, August 14, 2024, pp. 10-12.
  Offers a warning for school districts about reliance on AI technologies in their districts. Provides recommendations for school districts on how to avoid AI implementation fumbles.
  See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=179007959&site=ehost-live
  See: https://www.edweek.org/technology/los-angeles-unifieds-ai-meltdown-5-ways-districts-can-avoid-the-sa ...
  
• The future of Texas power: Balancing demand and reliability. By Jess Donald and Spencer Grubbs. Fiscal Notes, September 2024, pp. 1-7.
  Analyzes the growing energy demands on the state's electric grid and the impact of population growth, extreme weather, electric vehicles, data centers and artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency. Discusses various methods of energy demand forecasting. Mentions HB 5066, 88th Legislature, R.S., relating to the ability of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to add prospective load growth to resource planning.
  See: https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/industry/2024/energy-demand/
  
• Investing in Texas' electric infrastructure: The challenges of growing energy demand. By Brynne Harder. Fiscal Notes, September 2024, pp. 1-3.
  Discusses the timeline for building electric grid infrastructure in Texas and recent testimony by Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce about investment in the grid. Highlights the new Texas Energy Fund and the grants and loans for electric generation facilities. Mentions HB 2555, 88th Legislature, R.S., relating to resiliency plans of electric providers.
  See: https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/industry/2024/energy-infra/
  
• Governing AI with intelligence. By Urs Gasser. Issues in Science and Technology, Summer 2024, pp. 36-40.
  Provides a broad overview of how various stakeholders are establishing artificial intelligence (AI) governance. Points out some patterns regarding these governance arrangements.
  See: https://issues.org/governing-ai-intelligence-gasser/
  
• Moving beyond hype on hydrogen. By Valerie J. Karplus and M. Granger Morgan. Issues in Science and Technology, Summer 2024, pp. 83-87.
  Considers hydrogen’s possible advantages in helping decarbonize the energy system. Explains some of the challenges and barriers that currently exist. Highlights how regional hydrogen hubs provide an opportunity to figure out the true benefits and costs of developing hydrogen as a fuel source.
  See: https://issues.org/beyond-hype-hydrogen-karplus-morgan/
  
• Wastewater surveillance for influenza A virus and 5 subtype concurrent with the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus outbreak in cattle and poultry and associated human cases. By Souci Louis, et al. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), September 2024, pp. 804-809.
  Reports on the CDC's continued monitoring of the avian influenza A(H5N1) associated with cattle herds via wastewater testing. Includes Texas as one of the affected states.
  See: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/pdfs/mm7337a1-H.pdf
  
• A look at the cost of housing and primary drivers of recent increases. By M. Ray Perryman. Perryman Report and Texas Letter, September 2024, pp. 1-3, 6-7.
  Traces the nationwide increase in home prices over the last five years, with a particular emphasis on Texas. Notes that Covid-era societal changes and supply chain issues are still causing fierce competition for a limited number of homes, resulting in steep price increases in a short amount of time. Adds that of the ten most populous states, Texas has the sixth-highest median home price, and that home prices vary dramatically across the state.
• The regulators' dilemma, part one: Balancing public policy priorities with virtual power plants. By Neil Veilleux and Brien Sheahan. Public Utilities Fortnightly, August 2024, pp. 33-38.
  Explains what virtual power plants (VPPs) are. Discusses some challenges the electric grid is currently experiencing and how VPPs can assist with those challenges.
  See: https://www.fortnightly.com/fortnightly/2024/08/regulators-dilemma-part-one
  
• Drilling down on oil and gas. By Jalen Lopez. San Antonio Business Journal, September 20-26, 2024, pp. 12-13.
  Presents a Q&A with Dean Foreman, the chief economist at the Texas Oil & Gas Association. Notes the biggest changes to the Texas oil and gas market in 2024, as well as expected policy changes going forward.
• 48 GOP House members announce support for Rep. David Cook's Speaker campaign. By Brad Johnson. Texan, September 27, 2024, pp. 1-2.
  Presents the list of supporters released by Representative David Cook in the Speaker's race.
  See: https://thetexan.news/state/48-gop-house-members-announce-support-for-rep-david-cook-s-speaker-campa ...
  
• Texas DPS sends cease and desist to automatic license plate reader company. By Holly Hansen. Texan, September 25, 2024, pp. 1-3.
  Discusses the Texas Department of Public Safety's warning to Flock Systems, an automatic license plate reader company, over the use of their network for private homes and businesses without a license. Quotes Representative Briscoe Cain and mentions HB 3999, 88th Legislature, R.S., by Representative Brian Harrison.
  Related information at: https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/thetexan.news/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/95/69 ...
  See: https://thetexan.news/issues/criminal-justice/texas-dps-sends-cease-and-desist-to-automatic-license- ...
  
• Farmers, ranchers waiting on an updated farm bill. By Jessica Domel. Texas Agriculture, September 6, 2024, p. 8.
  Discusses the future of a new five-year farm bill, which Congress has yet to pass, and the perspectives of farmers; ranchers; and businesses who need new legislation to stay in business. Notes that Congress was running out of time to pass a new bill before current legislation expired at the end of September.
  See: http://texasagriculture.texasfarmbureau.org/articles/farmers-ranchers-continue-waiting-on-an-updated ...
  
• The Lone Star lithium boom. By Russell Gold. Texas Monthly, October 2024, pp. 53-54, 56, 58.
  Reports on direct lithium extraction, a new way to harvest a metal vital to the energy industry. Notes the growth of this technology since its invention in the 1990s by Texan John Burba and how it could affect the energy industry in the future.
  See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=179522420&site=ehost-live
  See: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/lithium-mining-boom-northeast-texas/