Current Articles for October 10, 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.

• WIC state agencies continue to use federal flexibility to streamline enrollment. By Zoë Neuberger. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, October 4, 2024, pp. 1-28.
  Describes the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, health care, and social services to low-income women, infants, and children under age five. Compiles selected state WIC eligibility and certification policies, including Texas'.
  See: https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/3-31-22fa_rev10-4-24.pdf
  
• Education or indoctrination? By Rob Boston. Church & State, September 2024, pp. 4-8.
  Discusses legislation from several U.S. states intent on including religious lessons and resources in public school curricula. Mentions Texas legislation related to topics like book bans, school chaplains, and displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools.
  See: https://www.au.org/the-latest/church-and-state/articles/education-or-indoctrination-as-public-school ...
  
• Infrastructure: Wasted water. Economist, September 28th-October 4th, 2024, pp. 68-69.
  Highlights some newer technologies being used to detect leaks in water pipelines.
  See: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/09/25/new-technologies-can-spot-pesky-leaks-in ...
  
• How much does special education truly cost? Finally, an answer is on the horizon. By Mark Lieberman. Education Week, September 11, 2024, pp. 4-5.
  Discusses the federally-funded research project to quantify the cost of special education nationwide. Explains why the research project will benefit states.
  See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=179580934&site=ehost-live
  See: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-much-does-special-education-truly-cost-finally-an-answe ...
  
• Why responding to student threats is so complicated. By Evie Blad and Olina Banerji. Education Week, September 11, 2024, pp. 2-3.
  Details the reasons why law enforcement had difficulty identifying the suspect prior to the Apalachee High School shooting in Georgia. Considers why schools are struggling to implement effective threat prevention measures.
  See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=179580932&site=ehost-live
  See: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/why-responding-to-student-threats-is-so-complicated/2024/09
  
• Evaluation of a Pathways Community Hub in Texas for pregnant mothers and their infants. By Jack Tsai, et al. Episcopal Health Foundation, September 2024, pp. 1-23.
  Examines the outcomes of a study of the Bexar County Health Collaborative's Pathways Community Hub in improving health outcomes for pregnant women. Reviews the results in light of HB 1575, 88th Legislature, R.S., to determine the effectiveness of the program.
  See: https://www.episcopalhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Bexar-PCH-report-8.26.24-Final.pdf
  
• Bringing communities in, achieving AI for all. By Shobita Parthasarathy and Jared Katzman. Issues in Science and Technology, Summer 2024, pp. 41-44.
  Argues artificial intelligence (AI) creators and regulators should reach out to marginalized communities and civic organizations to gather input addressing social inequities when creating AI.
  See: https://issues.org/artificial-intelligence-social-equity-parthasarathy-katzman/
  
• Disinformation wars. By Andrew Stuttaford. National Review, November 2024, pp. 43-45.
  Discusses how social media and other online content have shaped the spread of disinformation. Explores laws that governments in Europe and North America have passed that attempt to limit the spread of disinformation online.
  See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=179720020&site=ehost-live
  
• Voting deniers. By Jonathan Blitzer. New Yorker, September 30, 2024, pp. 7-8.
  Discusses how unsubstantiated theories about election fraud and voting by undocumented immigrants have proliferated. Describes efforts to prevent voter fraud, including the introduction of the SAVE Act in the U.S. Congress and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Election Integrity Unit. Notes that conservative lawyers and activists are already preparing to contest the results of this November's election using these theories.
  See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=179759397&site=ehost-live
  Related information at: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8281
  See: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/09/30/how-trump-hopes-to-exploit-the-myth-of-voter-fraud-in- ...
  Related information at: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/initiatives/election-integrity
  
• The current and future economic and fiscal benefits of the life sciences sector. By M. Ray Perryman. Perryman Report and Texas Letter, August 21, 2024, pp. 1-3, 6.
  Reports on the significant growth in the life sciences sector in Texas in recent years. Notes that the overall pace of life sciences net job creation in the state over the last decade has been almost three times the national average. Adds that factors such as the establishment of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas helped fuel this growth, and discusses the current and potential future effects of life science industries on the state.
• FCC's newest Open Internet Order, part one: Information services or telecommunications services? By Stephen Goodman. Public Utilities Fortnightly, September 2024, pp. 62-67.
  Discusses the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) latest order addressing net neutrality.
  See: https://fortnightly.com/fortnightly/2024/09/fccs-newest-open-internet-order-part-1
  Related information at: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-restores-net-neutrality-0
  
• Virtual power plants and the regulator's dilemma, part two: How to put the power plant in a VPP. By Neil Veilleux, Gisela Glandt, and Brien Sheahan. Public Utilities Fortnightly, September 2024, pp. 38-43, 75.
  Explains the difference between virtual power plants (VPPs) and distributed energy sources (DERs). Identifies and discusses four advanced characteristics of VPPs.
  See: https://www.fortnightly.com/fortnightly/2024/09/virtual-power-plants-and-regulators-dilemma-part-2
  
• Texas maternal mortality data shows most of increase came before Dobbs, contrary Tim Walz claim. By Mary Elise Cosgray. Texan, October 2, 2024, pp. 1-2.
  Discusses recent trends in the Texas Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), which calculates the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
  Related information at: https://healthdata.dshs.texas.gov/dashboard/maternal-and-child-health/maternal-health/maternal-healt ...
  See: https://thetexan.news/issues/healthcare/texas-maternal-mortality-data-shows-most-of-increase-came-be ...
  
• Top Texas races to watch in the November general election. By Brad Johnson. Texan, October 7, 2024, pp. 1-7.
  Presents a list of twelve races to watch in the November 5 general election, from the U.S. Senate to Texas House and Texas Senate races.
  See: https://thetexan.news/elections/2024/top-texas-races-to-watch-in-the-november-general-election/artic ...
  
• High on the hog. By Paula Forbes. Texas Highways, October 2024, pp. 90-91.
  Discusses a novel solution one Texas company has found to the problem of feral hogs that terrorize towns and destroy crops — adding them to the meat-production supply chain.
• Physician assistance. Texas Medicine, October 2024, p. 27.
  Profiles six physicians serving in the Texas legislature or state-wide office.
  See: https://www.texmed.org/uploadedimages/Current/2016_About_TMA/TMA_Publications/Texas_Medicine/Oct_24_ ...
  
• Power PAC. By Jason Jarrett and Alisa Pierce. Texas Medicine, October 2024, pp. 16-21.
  Details efforts by the Texas Medical Association's political action committee, TEXPAC, to influence and shape the Texas Legislature. Highlights TEXPAC's efforts to stop HB 2553, 88th Legislature, R.S. and efforts to promote more physicians as legislators.
  See: https://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=64818
  
• Inside the push to make abortion a criminal offense. By Forrest Wilder. Texas Monthly, October 2024, pp. 41-42, 44, 46, 48.
  Reports on the Texas reproductive rights landscape after the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. Notes that although abortion is now illegal in Texas, some activists want to go further by removing exceptions in the state penal code so that women can be charged with murder, a charge that bears the possibility of life in prison or even the death penalty.
  See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=179522417&site=ehost-live
  See: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/abortion-abolitionists-entering-texas-legislature/
  
• Can Democrats keep the Texas House anti-voucher? By Justin Miller. Texas Observer, October 2, 2024, p. 1.
  Discusses Texas Democrats' strategy to expand their numbers in the state House of Representatives this fall, with the ultimate goal of blocking school voucher legislation. Quotes House Democratic Caucus leader Representative Trey Martinez Fischer on how the caucus hopes to flip some Republican-held districts.
  See: https://www.texasobserver.org/democrats-texas-house-november-vouchers/