Current Articles for June 20, 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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Running off the tracks: The Texas Railroad Commission's allocation and PSA permitting authority.
By Cooper Bradbury.
Baylor Law Review, Winter 2024, pp. 156-193.
Discusses the authority of the Texas Railroad Commission to issue allocation and production sharing agreement (PSA) permits for oil and gas wells, summarizing the Commission's history with and practices for issuing permits. Explains the Commission's rule-making authority under the Texas Administrative Procedure Act and argues for the preservation and continuance of allocation and PSA permit issuance under the current regulatory framework.
See: https://law.baylor.edu/sites/g/files/ecbvkj1546/files/2024-05/13_bradbury.pdf
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How do public pension plan returns compare to simple index investing?
By Jean-Pierre Aubry and Yimeng Yin.
Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, June 2024, pp. 1-9.
Finds that public pension plans are increasingly relying on alternative investments and active management. Concludes that from 2000 to 2023, public plan returns are virtually identical to the simple index strategy, but plans have done much worse since the Global Financial Crisis.
See: https://crr.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/IB_24-13-1.pdf
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Policymakers can solve homelessness by scaling up proven solutions: Rental assistance and supportive services.
By Anna Bailey, Peggy Bailey, and Erik Gartland.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, June 12, 2024, pp. 1-19.
Explores the recent steep increase in homelessness in the U.S. and outlines affordable housing policy strategies to pair rental assistance with improvements to the health and social service systems. Mentions Texas.
See: https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/6-12-24hous_0.pdf
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Immigration: A border order.
Economist, June 8th-14th, 2024, p. 21.
Discusses President Biden's proclamation on securing the border. Points out three reasons why it won't work.
Related information at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/06/04/a-proclamation-on-securing- ...
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The right to choose.
Economist, June 1st-7th, 2024, pp. 12-14.
Discusses the efforts within states to put pro-abortion rights initiatives on the ballot. Speculates how these initiatives may affect overall voter turnout during the November 2024 general election. -
Gulf Coast Protection District prepares for future storms: District underscores hurricanes are not simply a coastal problem.
By Spencer Grubbs and Jess Donald.
Fiscal Notes, May 2024, pp. 1-4.
Interviews Nicole Sunstrum, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD), about the Coastal Texas Project, a federally-authorized long-term risk management and coastal resiliency plan for the most vulnerable sections of the Texas coastline. Discusses the funding and costs of the proposed Galveston Bay Storm Surge Barrier System and the effect of tropical storms on the oil and gas industry and tourism.
See: https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/infrastructure/2024/gulf-coast-protection/
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On vehicle automation, federal regulators have some catching up to do.
By David Kidd.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), May 29, 2024, pp. 1-3.
Discusses the use of partial driving automation systems on consumer automobiles and driverless vehicle fleets. Notes that federal regulators have struggled to stay ahead of the risks that come with innovations -- for example, commonsense guardrails are missing, and there is a lack of crash-reporting requirements. Describes a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by a group of U.S. Senators in April 2024 that sounded the alarm about the hands-off approach to automation taken by the agency.
See: https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/on-vehicle-automation-federal-regulators-have-some-catching-up-to-d ...
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Bird flu outbreak in dairy cows is widespread, raising public health concerns.
By Jennifer Abbasi.
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), June 4, 2024, pp. 1789-1791.
Investigates the spread of the H5N1 avian flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cow herds and the several cases reported in humans. Reports on the safety of pasteurized dairy and meat products. Addresses the risk to public health.
See: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2818724
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Five things to know about Medicare site-neutral payment reforms.
By Zachary Levinson, Tricia Neuman, and Scott Hulver.
Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2024, pp. 1-11.
Discusses the increasing interest in site-neutral Medicare payment reforms for outpatient services. Reviews current legislation enacted to reduce Medicare costs. Explains the benefits of the proposed expansion of site-neutral Medicare policies.
See: https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/five-things-to-know-about-medicare-site-neutral-payment-ref ...
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A review of exceptions in state abortion bans: Implications for the provision of abortion services.
By Mabel Felix, Laurie Sobel, and Alina Salganicoff.
Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2024, pp. 1-12.
Compares and analyzes the varying exceptions in states with abortion bans in place. Discusses potential implications stemming from abortion bans, including issues with current exceptions. Summarizes Zurawski v. State of Texas. Reviews litigation related to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) and related abortion care.
See: https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/a-review-of-exceptions-in-state-abortions-bans- ...
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The future of AI is helping us discover the past.
By Virginia Postrel.
Reason, June 2024, pp. 28-30.
Discusses the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) programs to assist with historical research.
See: https://reason.com/2024/05/05/the-future-of-ai-is-helping-us-discover-the-past/
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Wicked problems remain.
By Arnold Kling.
Reason, June 2024, pp. 54-58.
Defines the phrase "wicked problem." Explains why today's technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) programs, are not capable of solving society's wicked problems.
See: https://reason.com/2024/05/04/wicked-problems-remain/
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Separate and unequal schools: The past is future.
By Steve Suitts.
Southern Spaces, May 2024, pp. 1-15.
Criticizes the implementation of and the push for school Education Saving Accounts (ESAs) in Southern states. Warns of the social implications of enacting ESA programs. Includes information specific to Texas.
See: https://southernspaces.org/2024/separate-and-unequal-schools-past-future/
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Interview: New Texas GOP Chair Abraham George on the November election, fundraising, role of the party.
By Brad Johnson.
Texan, June 10, 2024, pp. 1-4.
Interviews new Republican Party of Texas Chair Abraham George about the recent party chair election, voter registration in South Texas, Democratic committee chairs, and closing the Republican primary.
See: https://thetexan.news/elections/2024/interview-new-texas-gop-chair-abraham-george-on-the-november-el ...
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Comparing individuals who engage in violent extremism and similar acts: What research sponsored by the National Institute of Justice tells us.
By Kateira Aryaeinejad and Thomas Leo Scherer.
U.S. Department of Justice, May 2024, pp. 1-43.
Compares and contrasts the data and findings from National Institute of Justice–sponsored research projects on violent extremism, mass shootings, and bias crimes. Highlights similarities and differences in the individuals who commit bias crimes and mass shootings and display violent extremist behavior.
See: https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/comparing-individuals-who-engage-violent-extremi ...