Current Articles for July 18, 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.
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Driving equity: The benefits and impact of autonomous vehicles on underserved communities.
By Sabine Neschke, Corey Harper, and Francis Torres.
Bipartisan Policy Center, June 2024, pp. 1-27.
Analyzes the potential transportation equity benefits as well as critical challenges of the use of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in underserved communities, often comprising low-income individuals and minorities. Presents detailed findings on AV adoption and access, public transportation and urban planning, traffic safety, and emissions and electrification.
See: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/download/?file=/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/BPC_Tech_AV-report_.pdf
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Child care assistance landscape: Inequities in federal and state eligibility and access.
By Alycia Hardy, Stephanie Schmit, and Rachel Wilensky.
Center for Law and Social Policy, June 27, 2024, pp. 1-54.
Analyzes variations in eligibility and access to federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) subsidies in 2020, as well as CCDBG participation by state, race, and ethnicity. Includes a national state-level income eligibility fact sheet; state-by-state fact sheets include Texas.
Related information at: https://www.clasp.org/publications/report/brief/inequitable-access-2024/
See: https://www.clasp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024.6.27_Child-Care-Assistance-Landscape.pdf
Related information at: https://www.clasp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024_Ineq.-Access-Factsheet_TX.pdf
Related information at: https://www.clasp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024_Ineq.-Access-FS_Natl-State-Data.pdf
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Why thousands of Chinese migrants cross the US southern border.
By Francine Kiefer.
Christian Science Monitor, July 8 & 15, 2024, pp. 8-11.
Discusses the causes for the sharp increase in migration of Chinese nationals to the U.S. via the southern border.
See: https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2024/0521/chinese-migrants-why-border-crossing
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Are we just grading robots?
By Beth McMurtrie.
Chronicle of Higher Education, July 5, 2024, pp. 18-19, 21.
Discusses the emerging issue of college-level students using artificial intelligence (AI) to complete assignments. Focuses on challenges professors face and the potential damage to students' critical thinking skills. Presents arguments from professors for and against incorporating AI into academic learning. -
Will IVF really be the next frontier in America’s culture wars?
Economist, July 6th-12th, 2024, p. 23.
Reviews the recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court and the effect the ruling has had on the political landscape surrounding in-vitro fertilization. Notes the Texas Supreme Court's refusal to hear an IVF case between a divorced couple.
Related information at: https://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/archive/2024/53161.pdf
Related information at: https://search.txcourts.gov/SearchMedia.aspx?MediaVersionID=05a8f4bc-0a2c-429d-b597-9cd21f853afd&coa ...
See: https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/07/04/will-ivf-really-be-the-next-frontier-in-americas- ...
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Tools that would make STEM degrees more affordable remain unexamined.
By Dominique J. Baker.
Issues in Science and Technology, Spring 2024, pp. 32-36.
Argues that current policies intended to keep college affordable are failing. Discusses the affordability of earning a degree in a STEM field and considers currently available data. Looks at how Australia and the United Kingdom are trying to address student debt.
See: https://issues.org/tools-stem-degrees-affordable-baker/
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Early pregnancy loss in an era of 'wrongful embryonic death'.
By Allen J. Wilcox and Lisa C. Ikemoto.
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), July 2024, pp. 99-100.
Asserts the potential legal danger to pregnant women who lose their embryos prematurely in states with "wrongful embryonic death" policies. Warns that wrongful embryonic death policies are harmful and will expose millions of people to wrongful death lawsuits every year.
See: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2819713
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Analysis of public retirement system disability incidence.
National Association of State Retirement Administrators, July 2024, pp. 1-7.
Explores disability benefits administered by public retirement systems to participants unable to work for an extended period. Analyzes disability incidence of public retirement systems based on occupational class, disability eligibility criteria, and disability plan design. Includes Employees' Retirement System of Texas, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Texas County & District Retirement System, Texas Municipal Retirement System, City of Austin Employees' Retirement System, Houston Employees' Retirement System, and Houston Firefighters’ Relief & Retirement Fund.
See: https://www.nasra.org/files/Papers/NASRA%20disability%20incidence.pdf
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The role of defined benefit pensions in recruiting and retaining public safety professionals.
By Paul Baugher, et al.
National Institute on Retirement Security, June 2024, pp. 1-21.
Argues that defined benefit (DB) pension plans are a critical workforce management tool for public safety employees. Examines data from 28 police and fire pension plans and national datasets to draw conclusions about retirement, average tenure, and retention rates.
See: https://www.nirsonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NIRS-24-PolFire-DefBen-Pension-Plans_DevR1.pdf
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The short-term economic forecast for Texas metropolitan areas.
Perryman Report and Texas Letter, July 3, 2024, pp. 1-3, 6-7.
Presents the economic outlook for the state's metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) through 2028. Predicts that the job growth and real gross product (RGP) of the largest population centers (Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Dallas-Plano-Irving, and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land) will expand at a faster pace, but the smaller MSAs (Midland, Tyler, Sherman-Denison, and Waco) will also add jobs and increase RGP in line with the state's overall performance.
See: https://www.perrymangroup.com/publications/newsletter/2024/7/3/the-shortterm-economic-forecast-for-t ...
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American small businesses are desperate for foreign workers.
By Fiona Harrigan.
Reason, July 2024, pp. 30-33.
Discusses the challenges small businesses face with hiring seasonal foreign workers. Points out existing problems with the H-2B visa program.
See: https://reason.com/2024/06/01/american-small-businesses-are-desperate-for-foreign-workers/
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Update on produced water litigation: An innovative water supply option.
By Edmond R. McCarthy, Jr.
State Bar of Texas: Oil, Gas and Energy Resources, Spring 2024, pp. 9-33.
Discusses Cactus Water Services, LLC v. COG Operating, LLC, a recent Texas appellate court case addressing the ownership of produced water. Includes relevant background information.
Related information at: https://search.txcourts.gov/Case.aspx?cn=08-22-00037-CV&coa=coa08
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Biden White House spars with Abbott, Patrick over Texas' Hurricane Beryl disaster request.
By Holly Hansen.
Texan, July 10, 2024, p. 1.
Discusses communications between state and federal government during Hurricane Beryl. Includes comments from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Senator Paul Bettencourt, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
See: https://thetexan.news/federal/biden-white-house-spars-with-abbott-patrick-over-texas-hurricane-beryl ...
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Texas-based federal judge finds home-alcohol distillery law unconstitutional.
By Matt Stringer.
Texan, July 12, 2024, p. 1.
Reviews the recent decision by federal Judge Mark Pittman in a challenge to two federal alcohol laws brought by the Texas-based Hobby Distiller's Association.
Related information at: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.384014/gov.uscourts.txnd.384014.49.0.pdf
See: https://thetexan.news/federal/texas-based-federal-judge-finds-home-alcohol-distillery-law-unconstitu ...
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Taking a look at the 2024 legislative Senate interim charges.
By Sam Mezayek.
Texas Builder, Summer 2024, pp. 26-28.
Summarizes the Senate interim committee charges of particular importance to the Texas Association of Builders prior to the 2025 legislative session, relating to the housing industry; property and casualty insurance; property tax relief; community college finance; squatters; and more.
See: https://cdn.coverstand.com/69733/822605/46601576b499114477250563f31385b41b7b3912.2.pdf#page=26
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Senate, House interim charges underscore TMA priorities.
By Emma Freer.
Texas Medicine, July 2024, pp. 8-9.
Summarizes the Texas Medical Association's participation in 2024 interim hearings. Considers charges related to SB 30, HB 1, and HB 1575, 88th Legislature, R.S.
See: https://www.qgdigitalpublishing.com/publication/?i=823762&p=10&view=issueViewer
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What Azerbaijan wants from Texas politics.
By Christopher Hooks.
Texas Monthly, July 2024, pp. 33-34, 36, 38, 40.
Discusses the recent indictment of Henry Cuellar, a U.S. Congressman from Texas who is accused of laundering money from an Azerbaijani oil company. Traces the history of the small former Soviet state's lobbying in Texas, both in the state and federal legislatures.
See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=177815633&site=ehost-live
See: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/azerbaijan-texas-politicians-henry-cuellar/
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The polarization myth.
By Karl Vick.
Time, July 15, 2024, pp. 46-50.
Argues that American civic life is not as divisive as most people think, and that ordinary people in both political parties actually hold moderate views about members of the opposite party. Discusses the role of intense partisan politics in perceptions of polarization.
See: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=178264645&site=ehost-live