Current Articles for September 21, 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.

Beyond the spoiler effect: Can ranked choice voting solve the problem of political polarization? By Scott Ganz, Nathan Atkinson, and Edward B. Foley. American Enterprise Institute, Updated August 24, 2023, pp. 1-37.
Analyses the prospective state-level effects of adopting instant runoff voting (IRV), a form of ranked-choice voting (RCV). Argues other forms of RCV may result in more representative elections and curb political polarization.
See: https://www.aei.org/research-products/journal-publication/beyond-the-spoiler-effect-can-ranked-choic ...
Navigating the tradeoffs of police in schools. By Lucy Sorensen and Montserrat Avila-Acosta. Brookings Institution, September 7, 2023, p. 1.
Presents data from a survey conducted to determine the effect that school resource officers (SROs) have on school districts. Provides recommendations for policymakers.
See: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/navigating-the-tradeoffs-of-police-in-schools/
7 states now require math support for struggling students. Here's what's in the new laws. By Sarah Schwartz. Education Week, August 23, 2023, p. 8.
Reviews laws in seven states, including Texas, which focus on providing educational support to students struggling in math.
See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=170073104&site=ehost-live
What share of nursing facilities might meet proposed new requirements for nursing staff hours? By Alice Burns, et al. Kaiser Family Foundation, September 18, 2023, p. 1.
Discusses a proposed Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule related to establishing stronger staffing requirements in nursing homes, including key takeaways and issues to watch. Provides state-level statistics for meeting the minimum requirements for registered nurse (RN) and nurses' aides.
See: https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/what-share-of-nursing-facilities-might-meet-proposed-new-re ...
Wastewater surveillance data as a complement to emergency department visit data for tracking incidence of influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus — Wisconsin, August 2022–March 2023. By Peter M. DeJonge, et al. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), September 15, 2023, pp. 1005-1009.
Notes how wastewater surveillance has been found useful for tracking community levels of SARS-CoV-2 levels. Studies the effectiveness of wastewater surveillance on other respiratory diseases, comparing concentrations of influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) with emergency department (ED) visits for three major Wisconsin cities.
See: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7237a2-H.pdf
States face challenges building a school mental health workforce. By Celina Pierrottet. National Association of State Boards of Education, August 2023, p. 1.
Looks at policies implemented by state education boards, including Texas, to address the shortage of mental health professionals in schools.
See: https://nasbe.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/2023/08/Pierrottet_School-Based-Mental-Health-final.pdf
State hybrid retirement plans. National Association of State Retirement Administrators, September 2023, pp. 1-15.
Examines two hybrid public retirement plan designs: a cash balance plan and a defined benefit-defined contribution (DB-DC) combination plan. Notes heightened attention to hybrid plans amid recent state reforms to public pension benefits and financing. Provides examples of hybrid plans, including the Employees Retirement System of Texas, Texas county and district, and Texas municipal pension plans.
See: https://www.nasra.org/files/Issue%20Briefs/NASRAHybridBrief.pdf
Closing the gap: The role of public pensions in reducing retirement inequality. By Nari Rhee. National Institute on Retirement Security, September 2023, pp. 1-25.
Explores the role of defined benefit pensions in delivering adequate retirement income, while also protecting against economic hardship for women; Blacks; Latinos; and those without a four-year college degree. Finds also that pension income, particularly from public pensions, is distributed more equitably by race and gender than other private financial assets.
See: https://www.nirsonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Closing-the-Gap-Final-Report.pdf
Off the grid. By Dan Charles. Science, September 8, 2023, pp. 1042-1045.
Explores the interconnectivity of power grids in the U.S. with renewable energy such as solar and wind power. Explains that renewable energy projects face delays due to inadequate transmission lines infrastructure.
See: https://www.science.org/content/article/hidden-digital-roadblock-keeping-green-electricity-u-s-grid
Warranted exclusion: A case for a Fourth Amendment built on the right to exclude. By Mailyn Fidler. SMU Law Review, Spring 2023, pp. 315-367.
Proposes that legislators anchor Fourth Amendment protections in a flexible concept derived from property law, a “situational right to exclude,” which states that a searchee has a right to exclude some law-abiding person from the thing to be searched until a warrant is obtained.
See: https://scholar.smu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4960&context=smulr
School's out: Summer breaks tied to women leaving work. By Brendan M. Price and Melanie Wasserman. Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), July 2023, pp. 1-4.
Considers drops in women’s employment that coincide with the start and duration of school summer breaks. Explains that the steepest drops in summer employment are among moms with young school-age children, who require substantial supervision.
See: https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/policy-brief/schools-out-summer-breaks-tied-women-leaving-wo ...
Texas defense. By Chuck DeVore. Texas Public Policy Foundation, September 2023, pp. 1-20.
Argues Texas should prepare for a major war or significant natural disaster by mitigating risks to the electric grid, the supply of vital medicines, and the financial network.
See: https://www.texaspolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-TexasDefense-ChuckDeVore.pdf
New real estate laws you need to know. Texas Realtor, August 2023, pp. 12-17.
Summarizes real estate-related legislation passed in the 88th Legislature. Includes real estate disclosure, Municipal Utility District (MUD) notice updates, the Texas Real Estate Commission, fair housing, homeowners' associations, property tax appraisals, and other property management topics.
See: https://www.texasrealestate.com/wp-content/uploads/TexasRealtor0823_rev2.pdf#page=8