Current Articles for December 11, 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.

• Curricular controls: Banning 'advocacy' of ideology. By Gavin Escott. Chronicle of Higher Education, November 28, 2025, p. 9.
  Discusses the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents' recent policy changes that affect course content.
  Related information at: https://www.tamus.edu/regents/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/11/Regular-Binder-November-13-2025-we ...
  
• Fort Worth schools under fire. By Seth Bodine. Dallas Business Journal, November 28-December 4, 2025, pp. 10-11.
  Discusses the recent takeover of Fort Worth Independent School District by the Texas Education Agency. Considers how the takeover might affect the local business climate, including impacts on recruiting and unintended consequences for workforce development.
• Geothermal energy: It's getting hot in here. Economist, November 22nd-28th, 2025, pp. 71-72.
  Discusses promising technological innovations for utilizing geothermal energy. Highlights two Texas-based companies as examples.
  See: https://www.economist.com/interactive/science-and-technology/2025/11/18/geothermal-time-has-finally- ...
  
• Microplastics and human health. By Shruthi Mahalingaiah, Kari C. Nadeau, and David C. Christiani. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), December 2, 2025, pp. 1941-1942.
  Considers the health concerns raised by the ubiquity of microplastics and everything they contaminate, including human tissues. Reviews known and potential health effects of microplastics.
• Ted Cruz’s finest hour. By Philip Klein. National Review, January 2026, pp. 18-20.
  Explores U.S. Senator Ted Cruz's fight against antisemitism. Considers the surge in antisemitism on both the left and right sides of the political spectrum. Suggests antisemitic sentiment may be an avenue to other forms of bigotry.
  See: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=d7d17c89-8602-3029-acde-26f96e6af0ea
  
• Colin Allred drops U.S. Senate run as Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett prepares bid for top of ticket. By Brad Johnson. Texan, December 5, 2025, p. 1.
  Discusses the changing face of the U.S. Senate race in Texas, noting that former Congressman Colin Allred has halted his campaign in order to run for the newly drawn 33rd Congressional district. Adds that Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is expected to enter the race, which will pit her against state Representative James Talarico in the Democratic primary.
  See: https://thetexan.news/elections/2026/colin-allred-drops-u-s-senate-run-as-congresswoman-jasmine-croc ...
  
• Texas' redistricting map left intact by U.S. Supreme court, permanently halting lower court ruling. By Brad Johnson. Texan, December 4, 2025, p. 1.
  Describes the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to reinstate Texas' newly redistricted congressional map, which had been vacated by a lower court in November. Notes that, as has often happened since the start of the second Trump administration, the decision was made along partisan lines in a 6-3 ruling.
  See: https://thetexan.news/elections/2026/texas-redistricting-map-left-intact-by-u-s-supreme-court-perman ...
  Related information at: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a608_7khn.pdf
  
• The Happy Toy Maker spreads Christmas cheer year-round. By Shelby Shank. Texas Agriculture, December 5, 2025, pp. 16-17.
  Profiles "Happy Toy Maker" Jerry Sims, a Panhandle metalworker and former rancher who creates working toy replicas of farm equipment. Notes that the goal of the replicas, which function and last as well as their real-life counterparts, is to spark children's interest in agriculture.
  See: https://texasagriculture.texasfarmbureau.org/articles/the-happy-toy-maker-spreads-christmas-cheer-ye ...
  
• Lawmaker encourages including water treaty in trade deal. By Jessica Domel. Texas Agriculture, November 7, 2025, p. 31.
  Reports on remarks made by U.S. Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, in which she urged the U.S. Trade Representative to include the 1944 Water Treaty in the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Notes that the Texas delegation has long fought for stricter enforcement of the treaty, which outlines water delivery obligations between the U.S. and Mexico.
  See: https://texasfarmbureau.org/lawmaker-encourages-water-treaty-inclusion-in-trade-agreement/
  
• Know your rights: Understanding 2025 changes to Texas school discipline law. Texas Appleseed, October 2025, pp. 1-7.
  Provides a resource guide for students, parents, and community advocates on the changes in school discipline enacted by HB 6, 89th Legislature, R.S., including the topics of suspension; disruption; alternative school placement; vaping; off-campus conduct; homelessness; behavioral agreements; and appealing discipline decisions.
  See: https://www.texasappleseed.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/ej_knowyourrights_hb6_webfinal2025.pdf
  
• The great Texas land boom. By Forrest Wilder. Texas Monthly, December 2025, pp. 70-75.
  Describes the recent push to create more public park land in Texas, including the new Post Oak Ridge State Park in Central Texas; Palo Pinto Mountains State Park in North Texas; and Powderhorn State Park on the Gulf Coast.
  See: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/new-texas-state-parks-expansion/
  
• A trailblazer for abuse reforms. By Robert Downen. Texas Monthly, December 2025, p. 79.
  Tells the story behind the 2025 passage of Trey's Law (SB 835, 89th Legislature, R.S.), which ended the use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual abuse lawsuits in Texas. Highlights the contributions of Representatives Jeff Leach, Ann Johnson, and Mitch Little and Senator Angela Paxton, as well as those of Elizabeth Carlock Phillips, the sister of a sexual abuse victim for whom the law is named.
  See: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-nda-ban/
  
• The high cost of targeting international students in Texas. By Lise Olsen. Texas Observer, November 18, 2025, p. 1.
  Describes how the Trump administration’s bans and airport detentions are derailing the educations of international students in Texas and across the U.S. Presents the experiences of several foreign students at Texas institutions who were detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), had their visas denied, and were targeted in other ways. Mentions U.S. Congressman Brandon Gill, who earlier this year called for Texas to ban all Chinese students.
  See: https://www.texasobserver.org/targeting-international-students-texas-trump/