Current Articles for February 20, 2025

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.

• Opportunity Passport: Financial capacity for young people who experience foster care. Annie E. Casey Foundation, February 10, 2025, pp. 1-4.
  Describes the Opportunity Passport financial education and matched savings program designed to assist young people aging out of foster care. Discusses improved outcomes for young adults with vehicle; education; and housing assets, and highlights the rich data resource Opportunity Passport provides for foster care advocacy and research.
  See: https://assets.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-opportunitypassport-2025.pdf
  
• Uncertainty brewing in boardrooms. By Sean Hemmersmeier and Kathryn Hardison. Austin Business Journal, February 7-13, 2025, pp. 6-7.
  Highlights the dilemma many business leaders are facing as they attempt to plan for the future following President Trump’s announcement of tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico.
  See: https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2025/02/05/austin-businesses-tariffs-supply-chains-trump.htm ...
  
• Electricity demand growth and data centers: A guide for the perplexed. By Jonathan Koomey, Zachary Schmidt, and Tanya Das. Bipartisan Policy Center, February 2025, pp. 1-29.
  Investigates two widely held concerns about data centers: first, that rising energy demand from data centers could overburden aging electric infrastructure; and second, that data center power demands could jeopardize efforts to mitigate climate change. Explains the key drivers of load growth for data centers, focusing on computing services and improvements in efficiency.
  See: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/download/?file=/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/BPC-Report-Electricity-Deman ...
  
• Cannabis enters the spirit world. By Redd Brown. Bloomberg Businessweek, February 2025, pp. 68-71.
  Discusses the rise in popularity of THC-infused beverages and stresses the precarious legal ground on which many of the products' producers find themselves. Mentions Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s recent letter detailing his intentions to ban consumable THC products in Texas.
  See: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-01-14/cannabis-cocktails-thc-infused-nonalcoholic-drink ...
  
• In search of opportunity: Can families use education choice to secure more of what they want? By Ashley Jochim. Center on Reinventing Public Education, December 2024, pp. 1-37.
  Reviews obstacles that limit or prevent many families from accessing education choice programs. Offers recommendations for policymakers on how to make educational choice programs accessible for families that might otherwise struggle to take advantage of these programs.
  See: https://crpe.org/wp-content/uploads/In-Search-of-Opportunity-2024_v2.pdf
  
• How rural school districts spend education dollars. National School Boards Association, 2025, pp. 1-28.
  Explores rural school district funding sources and how these districts allocate their funds. Examines spending priorities and financial challenges that rural school districts face.
  See: https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NSBA/dfc2722c-752e-43ee-b165-99ed3a3c9d30/UploadedImage ...
  
• Despite all the noise, tariffs won't work. By Ed Arnold. San Antonio Business Journal, February 7-13, 2025, p. 4.
  Discusses President Donald Trump's recent announcement of tariffs on Mexico and Canada (now temporarily delayed). Explains that while tariffs have historically been used to give advantage to domestic businesses, the current proposed measures do not make sense because North America represents 30 percent of global GDP. Notes that tariffs in this instance will cause higher prices, disrupted supply chains, and strained relationships with key allies.
  See: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2025/02/07/editors-note-tariffs-wont-work.html
  
• Steadfast in the Senate. By Suzanne Weiss. State Legislatures, Special Edition 2025, pp. 50-52.
  Profiles Texas Secretary of the Senate Patsy Spaw.
  See: https://indd.adobe.com/view/5da66758-36dc-43d2-9c15-83670cd50a41
  
• Average egg prices continue to climb. Texas Agriculture, February 7, 2025, p. 4.
  Notes that U.S. egg prices are hitting record highs due to outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza that have caused supply disruptions. Adds that the higher costs could decrease consumer demand for eggs and have also impacted restaurants and bakeries.
  See: http://texasagriculture.texasfarmbureau.org/articles/average-egg-prices-continue-to-climb
  
• Texas lawmakers urge Rubio to take action on Mexico water debt. By Jessica Domel. Texas Agriculture, February 7, 2025, p. 27.
  Discusses the efforts of a group of federal lawmakers from Texas, including Senator John Cornyn, to bring attention to Mexico's obligations to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty. Notes that these lawmakers are urging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue to push Mexico to obey the treaty. Notes that the lack of water deliveries is damaging to the South Texas agriculture industry.
  See: https://texasfarmbureau.org/lawmakers-urge-rubio-to-take-action-on-water-debt/
  Related information at: https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g1000/pdfiles/mextrety.pdf
  
• Taxes of Texas: A field guide (2025). Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, February 2025, pp. 1-31.
  Provides a graphical overview of the major Texas state taxes, including sales and use; motor vehicle sales and rental; motor fuel; franchise; oil production; natural gas production; and insurance taxes. Charts tax collections, revenue by source, and historical volatility for each tax. Includes charts on local property and sales taxes.
  See: https://comptroller.texas.gov/transparency/revenue/
  See: https://comptroller.texas.gov/transparency/revenue/docs/96-1774.pdf
  
• Physicians ask lawmakers to make social media safer for children, prevent data mining. Texas Medical Association, January 7, 2025, pp. 1-2.
  Presents the Texas Medical Association's call for the 89th Texas Legislature to enact policies that make social media safer for children.
  See: https://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=65206