Current Articles for September 14, 2023

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.

The demographic transition: An overview of America's aging population and immigration's mediating role. By Justis Antonioli and Jack Malde. Bipartisan Policy Center, September 2023, pp. 1-16.
Reviews the implications of the demographic transition toward an older population in the U.S. and the resulting economic challenges. Argues that policymakers may turn to immigration policy to mitigate adverse effects of demographic changes and strengthen the workforce.
See: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/download/?file=/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/BPC_LIT-Review.pdf
Authoritarians come for the academy. By Jennifer Ruth. Chronicle of Higher Education, September 1, 2023, pp. 38-39.
Replies to recent op-eds, including one written by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, defending political intervention in public universities. Posits that democracies lose their legitimacy as democracies when politicians interfere directly with the running of colleges and universities.
See: https://www.chronicle.com/article/authoritarians-come-for-the-academy
Mr. Bot goes to Washington. Economist, September 2, 2023, pp. 19-21.
Examines possible use of AI — including the "generative AI" technologies which produce "deepfake" video and audio — in the 2024 election cycle. Cites research showing that deepfakes are unconvincing to most voters and highlights possible defensive uses of AI in elections systems.
See: https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/08/31/ai-will-change-american-elections-but-not-in-the- ...
5 ways districts are filling teacher vacancies. By Madeline Will. Education Week, August 30, 2023, p. 8.
Identifies different methods that school districts across the country are using to fill teacher vacancies. Includes a brief discussion on Northside ISD in Texas.
See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=170801457&site=ehost-live
Louisiana's public schools must now display 'In God We Trust' in classrooms. By Sarah Schwartz. Education Week, August 30, 2023, pp. 12-13.
Details a state mandate in Louisiana that requires that every school display the national motto, "In God We Trust." Includes a brief discussion of legislation passed in Texas that required schools to hang posters displaying the national motto.
See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=170801459&site=ehost-live
Entrepreneurial spirit. By Sofia Gonzalez. Houston Business Journal, September 1-7, 2023, pp. 22-25.
Discusses Houston's diversity, positing that it is one of the keys to its growth. Notes the growth of the Hispanic population in the city, the benefits these residents bring to the region, and the challenges they face in the city's business community.
See: https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/09/01/reimagine-houston-diversity.html
Meeting the future need for energy. By M. Ray Perryman. Perryman Report and Texas Letter, Vol. 40, No. 5, pp. 1-6.
Examines projected worldwide future energy demands and recommends meeting demand with an "all-of-the-above" strategy combining rapid development of alternative energy sources and responsible development and use of oil and natural gas. Explains the concept of "low carbon oil," which has lower carbon dioxide content, and states that petroleum from the Permian Basin has low carbon characteristics.
Local success in the standards era. By Elaine Allensworth, Laura M. Desimone, and Latrice Marianno. Phi Delta Kappan, September 2023, pp. 18-23.
Reports that while there is little evidence that educational outcomes improved at the state or national level under the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) implemented in 2010, several local areas experienced measurable success. Presents research on areas which saw score improvement; concludes that professional learning support and collaboration opportunities for teachers are vital to the implementation of any large educational standards reform.
See: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00317217231197470
See: https://kappanonline.org/standards-professional-learning-allensworth-desimone-marianno/
Unanswered questions about the causes of obesity. By John R. Speakman, et al. Science, September 1, 2023, pp. 944-946.
Discusses various aspects of obesity research including causes, prevention, and treatment.
See: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg2718
Using a 'bystander bounty' to encourage the reporting of workplace sexual harassment. By Jessica K. Fink. SMU Law Review, Spring 2023, pp. 165-204.
Suggests a novel approach to removing the barriers that inhibit bystanders from reporting sexual harassment they witness in the workplace. Proposes awarding bystanders with a portion of the funds recovered when their reports of observed workplace sexual harassment culminate in successful lawsuits.
See: https://scholar.smu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4957&context=smulr
Texas ranks 23rd in U.S. for least 'equitable' school districts. By Cameron Abrams. Texan, September 8, 2023, p. 1.
Reviews a new analysis by WalletHub ranking the most and least equitable school districts in the U.S. and in Texas. Discusses the debate over per-pupil spending and public-school finance issues. Quotes Senators Joan Huffman and Paul Bettencourt.
See: https://thetexan.news/issues/education/texas-ranks-23rd-in-u-s-for-least-equitable-school-districts/ ...
Related information at: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/most-least-equitable-school-districts-in-texas/77134
Report shows U.S., Texas agricultural land value increases again. By Emmy Powell. Texas Agriculture, September 1, 2023, p. 12.
Describes the results of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Land Values 2023 Summary Report, which show that the nation's agricultural land values and cropland cash rents have increased by 7.4 percent to new highs. Notes that the average value of Texas farm real estate increased from $2,650 per acre in 2022 to $2,900 in 2023.
Report at: https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/land0823.pdf
See: https://texasfarmbureau.org/report-shows-agricultural-land-value-up-from-last-year/
Climate-resilient: Builds are the future of Texas construction. By Rae Howe. Texas Builder, Summer 2023, pp. 22-25.
Discusses the impact of climate change and more frequent and severe storms on the homebuilding industry, including hail, hurricanes, and urban flooding. Argues that the industry should create climate-resistant new home builds from the beginning and offers examples of home building techniques in other states facing extreme weather events.
See: https://cdn.coverstand.com/69733/792002/8dc72732b66e9e7b033a11554666d333a6f3d166.1.pdf#page=22
Speaking out: DeWayne Burns, Texas State Representative, District 58. Texas Builder, Summer 2023, pp. 20-21.
Interviews Representative DeWayne Burns about the housing industry in Texas, right to farm and ranch legislation (HB 1750 and HJR 126, 88th Legislature, R.S.), and his role as Chair of the House Committee on Land and Resource Management.
See: https://cdn.coverstand.com/69733/792002/8dc72732b66e9e7b033a11554666d333a6f3d166.1.pdf#page=20