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Interim Hearings - Week of December 5th

Nov 29

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. The following may be helpful resources for upcoming hearings. 
 
Friday, December 9th, 2011
 
House Committee on Economic & Small Business Development
Topic: Continued viability of the aerospace cluster in Texas
 

This entry was posted on November 29, 2011 at 2:09 PM and has received 777 views. Print this entry.

The First Thanksgiving, Texas-Style

Nov 21

posted by TexasLRL in Interesting documents, Texas history

Was Texas the real site of the first Thanksgiving? According to many historians, the first Thanksgiving celebration in the United States took place in 1598 near El Paso. An expedition led by Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate journeyed from Mexico and, after months of arduous travel, arrived at the Rio Grande near what is now San Elizario. The exploration party and the indigenous people celebrated their accomplishment with a feast and Catholic ceremonies - 23 years before the Pilgrims held their famous dinner at Plymouth Rock.

The Texas House and Senate each commemorated this historical milestone in 1990, and Gov. Rick Perry has recognized April 30 as the official day of the First Thanksgiving. For 20 years, the El Paso Mission Trail Association has conducted an annual historical reenactment of the event, and their work was honored by the Texas House in 2006.

This entry was posted on November 21, 2011 at 3:10 PM and has received 9484 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, November 17th

Nov 17

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

This entry was posted on November 17, 2011 at 3:15 PM and has received 1096 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Weeks of November 21 and 28, 2011

Nov 16

posted by Admin in Interim hearings, 82nd Session

 
INTERIM HEARINGSToday's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. The following may be helpful resources for upcoming hearings.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
Topic: Procedures used in the testing of DNA evidence in Texas and feasibility of certifying additional DNA testing centers

Monday, November 28, 2011
House Committee on Human Services
Topic: Implementation of Medicaid managed care model in South Texas; transition of Medicaid vendor drug program's prescription drug benefit to managed care

This entry was posted on November 16, 2011 at 4:16 PM and has received 1447 views. Print this entry.

New to the LRL: Texas State Cemetery book

Nov 15

posted by Admin in New & Noteworthy

  Texas State Cemetery The recently published Texas State Cemetery highlights the history of the state cemetery and the noteworthy Texans who are buried there. Established by an act of the Texas Legislature in the winter of 1851, the cemetery has become the final resting place for hundreds of notable Texans, from military and political figures such as Stephen F. Austin and Edwin Waller, to cultural figures like J. Frank Dobie and Tom Landry. The first individual to be buried in the cemetery was Edward Burleson, veteran and vice president of the Republic of Texas, who died unexpectedly in 1851 in Austin. He remained the lone occupant of the cemetery for four years until Abner Smith Lipscomb, a lawyer, veteran, secretary of state during the Mirabeau B. Lamar administration, and Texas Supreme Court justice, died and was buried near Burleson's grave in 1856. Biographical information and photographs for Burleson and many other individuals who are buried in the cemetery are provided in the book, divided into chapters on the Republic of Texas and the Civil War, public officials, cultural figures, educators, and Texas Rangers.

You can learn more about the Texas State Cemetery and the individuals who are buried there by looking at the cemetery website and also by searching the cemetery database.

The library's two copies of this book can be viewed by visiting the library and may be checked out by members of the legislative community.
 

This entry was posted on November 15, 2011 at 3:00 PM and has received 1953 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, Nov. 10th

Nov 10

posted by Admin in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

  • Review the costs of long term care. (MetLife, October 2011)
  • Consider funding options for emergency communications. (Congressional Research Service, October 4, 2011)
  • Read key findings related to the level of stress in America. (American Psychological Association, 2011)
  • Check out a 50-State Medicaid budget survey. (Kaiser Family Foundation, October 27, 2011)
  • Compare tanning restrictions for minors by state. (National Conference of State Legislatures, October 2011)

This entry was posted on November 10, 2011 at 3:15 PM and has received 1164 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of November 14, 2011

Nov 9

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 82nd Session

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. The following may be helpful resources for upcoming hearings. 
 

Friday, November 18, 2011
 
House Committee on Economic & Small Business Development
Topic: Cancer-related research grants: Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) or Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas

Topic: Economic impact of the automobile industry in Texas and the state's ability to compete with other states for future automotive manufacturing facilities

This entry was posted on November 9, 2011 at 12:58 PM and has received 784 views. Print this entry.

New! Find county and party affiliations in the library's Texas Legislators database

Nov 8

posted by Admin in Members of the Legislature

Who represented Travis County in the House and Senate in 1905?  What were their party affiliations?  Which Senate and House districts did Travis County belong to that year?

If you're researching questions like these, you may want to check the library's Texas Legislators: Past & Present database. We've recently added information about the counties represented by each member of the Legislature, allowing you to find things like all members who have represented all or part of a county since the county's creation, or which counties were in a particular member's district at any given time. While you're researching, keep in mind that county boundaries have shifted over the years. Bexar County used to include all of west Texas, along with parts of New Mexico, Kansas, and Colorado.  In the database, members are linked to the counties as they were at the time the member was elected, not as they are today. If you need information on historical county boundaries, a great source to look at is the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

In addition to county information, we've also added party affiliation for members back to the 12th Legislature (1870), making it possible to see the party breakdown in any one session back to that cutoff date, or to view the party affiliation of any member in particular. As with the county information, party information reflects the member's affiliation at the time he/she was elected.  We are currently researching and verifying party affiliations, so if a member's record does not yet include that information, it will be added as it becomes available.

This entry was posted on November 8, 2011 at 4:22 PM and has received 1498 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, November 3rd

Nov 3

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

  • Read about Texas's permanent school fund and Proposition 6 on the November 8 ballot. (Stateline, November 2, 2011)
  • Check out the nation's report cards in math and reading. (National Center for Education Statistics, November 1, 2011)
  • See trends in college pricing and student aid, and consider the rising cost of college. (reports from the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, October 2011; Freakonomics®, October 27, 2011)
  • Explore the development of energy policy in America. (eHistory / Origins, November 2011)
  • Consider the relationship between gas prices and oil prices. (Wall Street Journal, October 25, 2011)
  • Note that the EPA plans to develop standards for fracking wastewater discharge. (Jurist, October 21, 2011)
  • Review facts and figures relted to prescription painkiller overdoses. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 2011)

This entry was posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:15 PM and has received 1095 views. Print this entry.

Upcoming Constitutional Amendments Election - Nov. 8

Nov 1

posted by Admin in Legislation

Note: This blog entry was originally published in August 2011.

On November 8, 2011, voters will have a chance to consider ten constitutional amendments proposed by the 82nd Legislature.  The proposed amendments cover a wide range of topics, including taxes, bonds, the Permanent School Fund, pardons, and terms of office. For questions on when, where and how to vote, see the Texas Secretary of State's Votexas.org website.
 
For background and analysis of the ballot propositions, see the House Research Organization's Constitutional Amendments Proposed for Nov. 2011 Ballot, and the Texas Legislative Council's Condensed Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments.
 
The Texas Constitution is one of the longest in the nation and it's still growing.  The Constitution is changed through amendments, which are proposed by the Texas Legislature and accepted or rejected by the voters.
 
Since the current Constitution was adopted in 1876, 467 amendments have been accepted and 176 have been defeated.  
 
Constitutional Amendments Proposed for the November 8, 2011 ballot
 
82nd R.S.
1
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran.  
   
82nd R.S.
2
The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $6 billion at any time outstanding.  
   
82nd R.S.
3
The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds of the State of Texas to finance educational loans to students.  
   
82nd R.S.
4
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted area and to pledge for repayment of the bonds or notes increases in ad valorem taxes imposed by the county on property in the area. The amendment does not provide authority for increasing ad valorem tax rates.  
   
82nd R.S.
5
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to allow cities or counties to enter into interlocal contracts with other cities or counties without the imposition of a tax or the provision of a sinking fund.  
   
82nd R.S.
6
The constitutional amendment clarifying references to the permanent school fund, allowing the General Land Office to distribute revenue from permanent school fund land or other properties to the available school fund to provide additional funding for public education, and providing for an increase in the market value of the permanent school fund for the purpose of allowing increased distributions from the available school fund.  
   
82nd R.S.
7
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.  
   
82nd R.S.
8
The constitutional amendment providing for the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space land devoted to water-stewardship purposes on the basis of its productive capacity.  
   
82nd R.S.
9
The constitutional amendment authorizing the governor to grant a pardon to a person who successfully completes a term of deferred adjudication community supervision.  
   
82nd R.S.
10
The constitutional amendment to change the length of the unexpired term that causes the automatic resignation of certain elected county or district officeholders if they become candidates for another office.  
 

This entry was posted on November 1, 2011 at 11:41 AM and has received 1938 views. Print this entry.