Current Articles for September 19, 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.

• Criminalizing the right to vote. By Ryan Garry. Champion, August 2024, pp. 52-54, 57, 59.
  Discusses the increasing number of state laws that criminalize aspects of the voting process, including in Minnesota and Florida. Notes that the laws include the trend of voting prohibition (for example, removing the right to vote due to a felony conviction) and changes to the voter registration process and voting by mail.
• Opportunities to address the non-medical drivers of health in Texas. By Anna Spencer and Diana Crumley. Episcopal Health Foundation, August 8, 2024, pp. 1-15.
  Reports on non-medical drivers of health in Texas. Provides recommendations for the upcoming 89th legislative session. Discusses HB 1575 and HB 113, 88th Legislature, R.S.
  See: https://www.episcopalhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/8-8-24-NMDOH-Full-Text.pdf
  
• Missed opportunities: Credential shortages in programs aligned with high-paying middle-skills jobs in 55 US metro areas. By Zachary Mabel, et al. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, September 2024, pp. 1-42.
  Examines the number of credentialed middle-skilled workers in major cities across the U.S. Finds that there is currently a scarcity of middle-skilled workers and projects, potentially worsening shortages in the future. Calls for middle-skill providers to increase program capacity to meet demand for middle-skill workers.
  See: https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/cew-missed_opportunities-fr.pdf
  
• Where are all the pediatricians? By Katherine A. Jordan, Priyanka Rao, and Julie S. Byerley. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), September 10, 2024, pp. 783-784.
  Discusses the alarming decline in the number of pediatricians in the U.S. Examines the reasons of the decline in medical residents choosing pediatric specialties, noting lower salary expectations and higher debt burden as leading causes.
• State education policy and the new artificial intelligence. By Glenn M. Kleiman and H. Alix Gallagher. National Association of State Boards of Education, September 2024, pp. 1-8.
  Compares the use of artificial intelligence (AI) with older technologies that affected education. Outlines the potential uses for and issues with generative AI. Gives recommendations on how state education leaders can create policy to address AI use in education.
  See: https://www.nasbe.org/state-education-policy-and-the-new-artificial-intelligence/
  
• Push, pull, or drag: Getting chronically absent students across the finish line. By Robert Pondiscio. National Review, October 2024, pp. 61-62.
  Discusses the lengths to which school administrators will go to keep students enrolled in school and on the path to graduation.
  See: https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2024/10/the-scourge-of-chronic-absenteeism/
  
• Natural gas commodity prices and cost recovery: Customers and utilities on same side. By Morgan Hoy. Public Utilities Fortnightly, June 2024, pp. 44-50.
  Provides an overview of natural gas purchasing practices. Focuses on natural gas market dynamics during 2022 and 2023. Points out factors regulators should consider before making changes to limit the effect of short-term price spikes on customers. Refers to a 2002 report from the Government Accountability Office.
  Report at: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-03-46.pdf
  
• Keeping the lights on in America. By Ronald Bailey. Reason, October 2024, p. 19.
  Reports on reconductoring, a key grid-enhancing technology (GET) that can increase electric grid transmission capacity using existing infrastructure. Refers to a report and a policy paper on this technology.
  See: https://reason.com/2024/09/16/keeping-the-lights-on-in-america/
  Related information at: https://www.2035report.com/reconductoring/
  
• Hotter August days push some schools to delay start dates. By Elaine S. Povich. Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), September 10, 2024, pp. 1-4.
  Discusses variation in school start dates across the country. Mentions Representative Jared Patterson.
  See: https://stateline.org/2024/09/10/hotter-august-days-push-some-schools-to-delay-start-dates
  
• Texas Comptroller report: State was over 300,000 homes short in 2023. By Cameron Abrams. Texan, September 13, 2024, pp. 1-2.
  Highlights a new comprehensive study on housing affordability by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and the various contributing factors for Texas' shortage of 306,000 homes in the year 2023, including median home prices; housing supply and demand; homeowners insurance rates; and domestic migration. Mentions HB 14, 88th Legislature, R.S. allowing for third-party property reviewers.
  See: https://thetexan.news/issues/texas-taxes-spending/texas-comptroller-report-state-was-over-300-000-ho ...
  Report at: https://www.lrl.texas.gov/scanned/archive/2024/54719.pdf
  
• Texas Ethics Commission has exclusive jurisdiction over campaign violations, court rules. By Kim Roberts. Texan, September 12, 2024, pp. 1-2.
  Discusses a recent opinion of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirming the jurisdiction of the Texas Ethics Commission over campaign and election law violations in Texas Government Code, Chapter 571, and a related county court-at-law campaign in Washington County.
  Related information at: https://search.txcourts.gov/SearchMedia.aspx?MediaVersionID=14987eda-b42f-4652-9159-8026029cdd11&coa ...
  Related information at: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.571.htm
  See: https://thetexan.news/judicial/texas-ethics-commission-has-exclusive-jurisdiction-over-campaign-viol ...
  
• TFB supports state, national security in committee testimonies. Texas Agriculture, September 6, 2024, p. 7.
  Reports on recent hearings from the Texas House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock and the House Select Committee on Securing Texas from Hostile Foreign Organizations. Notes that Texas Farm Bureau members testified in both hearings about the concern over foreign adversaries gaining control over agricultural land or land near critical resources.
  See: http://texasagriculture.texasfarmbureau.org/articles/tfb-supports-state-national-security-in-committ ...
  
• TFB, farmers share about lack of right to farm enforcement. By Jessica Domel. Texas Agriculture, September 6, 2024, p. 6.
  Reports on a recent interim hearing of the Texas House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock. Notes that Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening and other local ranchers and farmers testified about a lack of enforcement to Proposition 1, the Right to Farming, Ranching, Timber Production, Horticulture, and Wildlife Management Amendment (HJR 126, 88th Legislature, R.S.).
  See: http://texasagriculture.texasfarmbureau.org/articles/tfb-farmers-share-about-lack-of-right-to-farm-e ...
  
• Hot legal topic – and opportunities – for builders: Getting land out of ETJs. By Chris Johns. Texas Builder, Fall 2024, pp. 28-29.
  Reviews the background of SB 2038, 88th Legislature, R.S., allowing landowners to remove land from a city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Quotes Senator Paul Bettencourt. Discusses municipal challenges and opportunities to strengthen the law.
  See: https://cdn.coverstand.com/69733/830031/1a454ccbdab3ada9fd04287b2bb6687d28682be4.pdf#page=28
  
• Review of the 2024 House interim legislative charges. By Sam Mezayek. Texas Builder, Fall 2024, pp. 14-16.
  Summarizes the House interim committee charges of particular importance to the Texas Association of Builders prior to the 2025 legislative session, relating to housing affordability; the workforce; water infrastructure; insurance premiums; and more.
  See: https://cdn.coverstand.com/69733/830031/1a454ccbdab3ada9fd04287b2bb6687d28682be4.pdf#page=14
  
• The potential impact of voter identification laws on transgender voters in the 2024 general election. By Jody L. Herman, et al. Williams Institute (UCLA School of Law), September 2024, pp. 1-26.
  Estimates the impact of voter registration requirements and voter identification laws on transgender people. Includes Texas.
  See: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Trans-Voter-ID-Sep-2024.pdf