The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the titles from our October 2025 New & Noteworthy list.

New & Noteworthy titles are available to Legislative offices and agencies. To borrow an item, please submit an online request through the New & Noteworthy page on our website or contact the library at 512-463-1252.

1. Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments, 89th Texas Legislature, November 4, 2025, Election
By Texas Legislative Council
Provides detailed information on the seventeen joint resolutions passed during the 89th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature that propose amendments to the Texas Constitution. Includes background information, detailed analysis, comments from both supporters and opponents, and the text of each joint resolution to assist voters during the November election.
Texas Legislative Council, 2025, 99 pages
L1400.7 C766 2025

 

 

2. Condensed Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments, 89th Texas Legislature, November 4, 2025, Election
By Texas Legislative Council
Presents a brief analysis for each of the seventeen joint resolutions proposed to amend the Texas Constitution that passed during the 89th Regular Session and will appear on the upcoming November election ballot. Includes the topic, an analysis, and a summary of comments made by supporters and opponents during the legislative process.
Texas Legislative Council, 2025, 22 pages
L1400.7 C766C 2025

 

 

3. Constitutional Amendments Proposed for November 2025 Ballot
By House Research Organization
Describes the process by which constitutional amendments are adopted. Provides information on each of the seventeen proposed amendments that will be submitted for voter approval at the November 4, 2025, general election. Includes a summary of the amendment, background information, analysis, and arguments for and against each proposal.
House Research Organization, 2025, 38 pages
L1801.9 ST94 89-4

 

 

4. The DEI Dilemma: Understand the Legal Landscape and Support Your Campus
By Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc.
Compiles a collection of essays on the impact of the current legal and political environment on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in higher education. Examines the dismantling of DEI programs and policies through presidential executive orders, state legislation, and universities’ voluntary policy shifts. Discusses strategies for responding to these challenges to DEI efforts in colleges and universities. Mentions SB 17, 88th Legislature, R.S.
Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc., 2025, 81 pages
378.73 R894D 2025

 

 

5. José Tomás Canales Became JT: A Short Biography of the First American of Mexican Origin to Become a Texas State Representative
By José Angel Gutiérrez
Explores the life and experiences of State Representative José Tomás Canales. Chronicles his early life through schooling in Austin and Kansas, and attending law school in Michigan. Discusses his political career including serving in the Texas House of Representatives from 1905 to 1911 and again from 1917 to 1921 highlighting his actions related to the 1919 Joint Committee to Investigate the Ranger Force. Includes Canales' role in the formation and running of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).
José Angel Gutiérrez, 2025, 234 pages
328.764 G885 2025

 

 

6. The Texas Civil Rights Project: How We built a Social Justice Movement
By James Harrington
Recounts the journey of the founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) through a history of the social justice and civil rights movements in Texas over the last fifty years. Details the origins of the TCRP along with its advocacy for victims of police brutality; injured farmworkers; preventing violence against women; grand jury reform; privacy issues; legal services for poor and low-income individuals; people with disabilities; and the Texas Equal Rights Amendment, SJR 16, 62nd Legislature, R.S.
University of Texas Press, 2025, 298 pages
340.092 H299 2025

 

 

7. The Right to Oblivion: Privacy and the Good Life
By Lowry Pressly
Reframes privacy as the right to be unknown and argues the value of privacy is in the ability to limit the creation of information rather than controlling our information. Provides historical overview of the approach to privacy from the invention of photography through the digital age of the internet to examine previous thoughts on privacy. Reflects on the ethical and moral concerns of privacy and information.
Harvard University Press, 2024, 228 pages
323.448 P935R 2024

 

 

This entry was posted on October 15, 2025 at 3:15 PM and has received 52 views. Print this entry.

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

October 22, 2025
House Committee on Energy Resources, Subcommittee on Underground Facility Safety
The Subcommittee will take invited testimony only from the following state agencies and organizations:

Railroad Commission of Texas
One Call Board of Texas

The Subcommittee will take invited testimony only on the following subject matters:

Texas 811 and Underground Facilities in Texas
Discussing the Texas 811 program and history, class A and B facilities, and damage prevention.

Class A Facilities
Discussing underground oil & gas pipelines and telecommunications equipment.

Class B Facilities
Discussing underground water systems.

Line Locating and Mapping
Discussing available technology and the timeline and capacity for a statewide mapping project.

The Texas Excavation Process
Discussing the role of excavators in the "call before you dig" system.

Underground Facility Operability
Discussing digital processes and ticketing times, capacity to expand, and successful programs from other states.

This entry was posted on October 15, 2025 at 9:45 AM and has received 64 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Find out when is best to plant bluebonnets. (Texas Department of Transportation, accessed October 8, 2025)
• Consider how artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting the labor market. (Yale University, October 1, 2025)
• Read about how to request an external review on a health insurance claim denial. (ProPublica, October 7, 2025)
• Examine how consumers manage digital security and privacy. (Consumer Reports, October 1, 2025)
• Explore American views on where products are made. (Gallup, October 7, 2025)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on October 9, 2025 at 3:15 PM and has received 203 views. Print this entry.

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

October 6, 2025
House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock
El Campo, Texas

Topic: New World Screwworm

• Governor Abbott, Secretary Rollins Announce $750 Million for New World Screwworm Protection Facility, Governor Greg Abbott, August 15, 2025
• Letter to Executive Director and State Veterinarian Lewis R. “Bud” Dinges, Texas Animal Health Commission, and Executive Director David Yoskowitz, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, RE: Directing the agencies to jointly establish a Texas New World Screwworm Response Team, Governor Greg Abbott, June 25, 2025
• New World Screwworm Domestic Readiness and Response Policy Initiative, U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 18, 2025
• New World Screwworm (Fact Sheets, Technical Bulletins, Online Resources), Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Topic: Rice Delphacid

• Texas A&M AgriLife Tackles Rice Delphacid Devastation, Texas A&M AgriLife, September 18, 2025
• Rice Delphacid Has Become a Serious Pest in U.S. Rice Production, USA Rice, September 5, 2025
• Texas Rice Growers Optimistic Despite Challenges, Texas A&M AgriLife, August 12, 2025
• Rice Delphacid, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, June 2025
• Extension of Time-Limited Tolerances for Emergency Exemptions, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Register, October 25, 2024
• Thiamethoxam; Pesticide Tolerances for Emergency Exemptions, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Register, October 7, 2019
• Section 18 Exemptions Notices and Labels (Controlling rice delphacid in Texas), Texas Department of Agriculture

This entry was posted on October 3, 2025 at 1:25 PM and has received 241 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Consider how copyright cases related to training AI on legal content could affect access to legal information. (Electronic Frontier Foundation, September 29, 2025)
• Check tips on shopping for auto insurance. (Texas Department of Insurance, accessed October 1, 2025)
• See the most recent election information for the upcoming November 4, 2025 election. (Texas Secretary of State, accessed October 1, 2025)
• Find information on real estate. (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, accessed October 1, 2025)
• Track fall foliage in your area. (Explore Fall, © 2025)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on October 2, 2025 at 3:15 PM and has received 352 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Explore aspects of drought in Texas. (National Integrated Drought Information System, accessed September 23, 2025)
• Review ten facts about high blood pressure. (American Heart Association, last reviewed August 14, 2025)
• Examine trends related to fentanyl poisoning in Texas. (Texas Department of State Health Services, last updated July 15, 2025)
• Find charts and other graphics related to agriculture, food production, and food consumption. (Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed September 24, 2025)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on September 25, 2025 at 3:15 PM and has received 271 views. Print this entry.

The 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, adjourned Sine Die on Thursday, September 4, 2025.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025, was the last day the governor could sign or veto an enrolled bill (Texas Constitution, Article 4, Section 14). If neither action was taken the bill became law without his signature.

The following bill statistics were calculated on September 25, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

This entry was posted on September 25, 2025 at 2:55 PM and has received 336 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Read about the rising cost of homeownership. (U.S. Census Bureau, September 11, 2025)
• Consider the frequency of redistricting between censuses. (Pew Research Center, August 28, 2025)
• Order vital records online. (Texas Department of State Health Services, accessed September 17, 2025)
• Find food safety tips for dining out. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, September 15, 2025)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on September 18, 2025 at 3:15 PM and has received 323 views. Print this entry.

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the titles from our September 2025 New & Noteworthy list.

New & Noteworthy titles are available to Legislative offices and agencies. To borrow an item, please submit an online request through the New & Noteworthy page on our website or contact the library at 512-463-1252.

1. Atomic Dreams: The New Nuclear Evangelists and the Fight for the Future of Energy
By Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow
Focuses on the resurgence of nuclear power and its role as an energy source and possible climate solution. Explores the pro-nuclear movement through the lens of a new generation of environmentalists, activists, and politicians who believe that nuclear energy offers a safe path to decarbonization. Focuses on the recent rescue of Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclear power plant, which was slated to shut down in 2025.
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2025, 274 pages
363.17 T915 2025

 

 

2. Barbs, Bullets, and Blood: The 1880s Texas Barbed Wire Wars
By Harold D. Jobes
Discusses the invention of barbed wire and its dissemination throughout Texas in the 1870s, which set the stage for the Barbed Wire Wars in the 1880s. Profiles the various actors who fueled the violent conflicts: free-range cattle advocates and homesteaders; owners of fenced land; and law enforcement tasked with preventing unlawful fencing and fence cutting. Highlights the Texas Legislature's and Governor John Ireland's actions during the wars, including the passage of HB 528, 18th Legislature, R.S., known as the Land Act of April 12, 1883, and fence-related legislation in the 18th Legislature, 1st C.S. in 1884: HB 2, HB 8, HB 9, HB 50/HB 84, and SB 42.
University of North Texas Press, 2025, 396 pages
976.4 J62 2025

 

 

3. On Privacy and Technology
By Daniel J. Solove
Considers the question, “Is privacy dead?,” while analyzing how recent changes in technology, electronic surveillance, and artificial intelligence (AI) are impacting privacy. Addresses key concepts in the digital realm, including control; manipulation; harm; automation; consent; reputation; and others. Discusses flaws in current laws involving technology and privacy along with common myths about privacy which prevent regulatory progress. Provides recommendations on how AI and privacy law should develop.
Oxford University Press, 2025, 124 pages
342.0858 SO689P 2025

 

 

4. The Origins of Critical Race Theory: The People and Ideas That Created a Movement
By Aja Y. Martinez and Robert O. Smith
Examines the history of the creation and development of critical race theory (CRT). Presents a narrative description of the tenets of CRT, a timeline of milestone events, and seminal works, as well as criticisms of CRT. Explores the lives of individuals who founded or were influential in developing CRT, including Derrick Bell, Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic, and Kimberlé Crenshaw.
New York University Press, 2025, 247 pages
305.800973 M385 2025

 

 

5. Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes
By Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia
Analyzes problems with current Social Security policies and how retirement system reforms in Canada, New Zealand, Germany, and Sweden could work in the U.S. Provides a guide for modernizing and restructuring the U.S. Social Security system to restore fiscal stability.
Cato Institute, 2025, 262 pages
368.43 B664 2025

 

 

6. As If Human: Ethics and Artificial Intelligence
By Nigel Shadbolt and Roger Hampson
Explores the ethical challenges surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Argues that AI decisions, actions, and products should be evaluated as if they came from a human being. Offers a new framework for building a more ethical machine intelligence.
Yale University Press, 2024, 260 pages
006.31 SH524 2024

 

 

7. Flash Floods in Texas
By Jonathan Burnett
Provides historical accounts of major flash floods in Texas from 1900 to 2002. Notes that Texas’ location and landscape makes the entire state, and particularly the Balcones Escarpment and Edwards Plateau in Central and West Texas, prone to flooding. Presents each flood incident in its own chapter, with background on the causes and effects of the flooding and archival photography.
Texas A&M University Press, 2008, 330 pages
551.48 B964 2008

 

 

This entry was posted on September 17, 2025 at 3:15 PM and has received 276 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Review the Hourly Wildfire Potential Index. (NOAA Research, August 28, 2025)
• Discover how to avoid healthy eating mistakes. (AARP, September 8, 2025)
• Find the new free anti-tobacco and vaping program. (Texas Department of State Health Services, September 9, 2025)
• Read about the 2025 App Privacy Index. (Tenscope, accessed September 10, 2025)
• Explore the Cooperative National Geologic Map. (U.S. Geological Survey, August 28, 2025)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on September 11, 2025 at 3:15 PM and has received 352 views. Print this entry.