Current Articles for August 07, 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.

• When ICE agents break the law, can victims sue? The Supreme Court hints yes. Will the Eleventh Circuit listen? By Lauren Bonds. American Constitution Society, July 8, 2025, p. 1.
  Addresses the heightened activity of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the start of the second Trump administration, including arresting and deporting U.S. citizens; causing car crashes during reckless pursuits; brandishing weapons on unarmed children; and unnecessarily using force against elected officials. Notes that in deciding Martin v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court suggested, but did not clearly direct, the Eleventh Circuit to join the rest of the country in allowing victims of federal police abuse to sue when they are injured. Discusses the role of the Federal Tort Claims Act.
  See: https://www.acslaw.org/expertforum/when-ice-agents-break-the-law-can-victims-sue-the-supreme-court-h ...
  Related information at: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-362_mjn0.pdf
  
• Are schools prepared for an overdose? By Holly Geyer and Mike Kurtenbach. American School Board Journal, August 2025, pp. 18-21.
  Discusses opioid overdoses—the third leading cause of death in youth under age 18—in the child and teen population. Argues that the opioid-reversal agent naloxone to be available in all schools. Highlights legislative and policy initiatives that states are implementing to combat the death rate.
  See: https://nsba.org/resources/asbj/asbj-august-2025/august-2025-are-schools-preparing-for-an-overdose
  
• Expanding access to advanced placement. By Terry B. Grier. American School Board Journal, August 2025, pp. 23-25.
  Reflects on the actions taken to expand the Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) from 2008 to 2016. Explains the changes they implemented relating to enrollment, curriculum, and teacher training.
  See: https://nsba.org/resources/asbj/asbj-august-2025/august-2025-expanding-access-to-advanced-placement
  
• Five new lawsuits in five weeks. By Liz Hayes. Church & State, July/August 2025, pp. 4-6.
  Discusses recent lawsuits filed by Americans United in their ongoing fight to uphold the separation of church and state. Mentions a lawsuit challenging SB 10, 89th Legislature, R.S., which mandates a copy of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom in Texas.
  See: https://www.au.org/the-latest/church-and-state/articles/five-new-lawsuits-in-five-weeks-au-is-not-ba ...
  
• School shootings leave lasting scars on local economies, research shows. By Muzeeb Shaik, et al. The Conversation, July 28, 2025, pp. 1-4.
  Summarizes recent research that finds fatal school shootings hurt local economies. Suggests questions for future research.
  See: https://theconversation.com/school-shootings-leave-lasting-scars-on-local-economies-research-shows-2 ...
  
• National health expenditure projections, 2024–33: Despite insurance coverage declines, health to grow as share of GDP. By Sean P. Keehan, et al. Health Affairs, July 2025, pp. 776-787.
  Details projections of growth in health care spending through 2033. Considers spending in Medicaid and Medicare and offers tables that provide growth projections in specific areas of health care spending, such as hospitalizations and prescription medications.
  See: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00545
  
• When care fails, generations suffer: The ripple effect of the Black maternal health crisis. By Andrea Flynn and Martinique Free. Institute for Women's Policy Research, July 2025, pp. 1-11.
  Examines the profound and lasting effects of Black maternal mortality on children, families, and communities as part of the series Birthing While Black: The Urgent Fight for Maternal Health Reform. Discusses the economic impact of the Black maternal health crisis, including loss of income and family wealth; the impact on children's health; and the relationship of maternal mortality to mass incarceration.
  See: https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/When-Care-Fails-Generations-Suffer-The-Ripple-Effect-of- ...
  
• Updating mental models of risk. By Rod Schoonover, Daniel P. Aldrich, and Daniel Hoyer. Issues in Science and Technology, Summer 2025, pp. 87-88, 90-92.
  Explains some of the reasons disaster-related risks have become increasingly complex. Argues the current model of risk that treats disasters as isolated events is short-sighted and outdated. Proposes a modernized framework based on the following interlocking components: hazard, vulnerability, exposure, and response.
  See: https://issues.org/issue/41-4/
  
• State level "MAHA" movement: New Texas and Louisiana laws. By Emily Stone. The National Agricultural Law Center, July 15, 2025, p. 1.
  Discusses two state-level bills (Texas, SB 25 and Louisiana, SB 14) that are attempting to replicate the Trump administration's national "Make America Healthy Again" movement. Notes that the Texas bill includes required nutrition training for medical professionals, physical education mandates for students, creation of a Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee, and the adoption of labeling requirements for foods that contain certain ingredients; the Louisiana bill prohibits certain food ingredients from being served in schools, requires disclaimers on food items that contain certain ingredients, and mandates warnings to notify customers of seed oil use in food establishments. Discusses the background and potential impact of both bills.
  See: https://nationalaglawcenter.org/state-level-maha-movement-new-texas-and-louisiana-laws/
  
• 9 facts about Americans and marijuana. By Katherine Schaeffer and Anna Jackson. Pew Research Center, July 8, 2025, p. 1.
  Presents the results of a survey of Americans regarding marijuana and the law. Finds that the vast majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana in some way, with around nine-in-ten U.S. adults saying marijuana should be legal for medical use, recreational use, or both. Breaks down the responses by age, political party, and race.
  See: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/08/facts-about-marijuana/
  
• The last reformer: Houston schools chief Mike Miles on the case for going bold. By Kevin Mahnken. The 74, July 23, 2025, pp. 1-11.
  Features an interview with Houston Independent School District (HISD) Superintendent Mike Miles.
  See: https://www.the74million.org/article/the-last-reformer-houston-schools-chief-mike-miles-on-the-case- ...
  
• Texas House files identical hemp-derived THC ban bill as Senate. By Cameron Abrams. Texan, July 28, 2025, p. 1.
  Announces that the Texas House and Senate have introduced identical THC ban bills (HB 5, SB 5) during the 89th Legislature, 1st C.S., noting that both bills would prohibit any product containing cannabinoids other than CBD or CBG from being sold in the state. Adds that the original THC ban bill, SB 3, 89th Legislature, R.S., was vetoed by Governor Abbott, who has stated that he prefers regulation to an outright ban.
  See: https://thetexan.news/issues/social-issues-life-family/texas-house-files-identical-hemp-derived-thc- ...
  
• Can Texas sustain its growth? By Jorge Barro. Tierra Grande, Summer 2025, pp. 7-11.
  Analyzes the factors leading to Texas' population and economic boom after the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes migration from other states, a restructured workforce, a favorable housing market, and the competitive fiscal environment. Discusses the future of the workforce and the prospect of Texas' ongoing growth advantage.
  See: https://trerc.tamu.edu/article/can-texas-sustain-its-growth/