This entry was posted on December 20, 2011 at 3:42 PM and has received 21155 views. Print this entry.

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

• Consider how states have applied revenue from the 1998 tobacco settlement over the years. (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, November 30, 2011)
• Read about smart grid state-level legislative and regulatory policies and case studies, and about the future of the electric grid. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, December 2011 / MIT Energy Initiative, December 5, 2011)
• Note that the Alabama attorney general recommends changes to Alabama Immigration Law. (Jurist, December 7, 2011)
• Explore the quality of post-secondary education at for-profit, nonprofit, and public schools. (U.S. Government Accountability Office, December 2011)
• Take a look at a Denver court decision and related documents that indicate Colorado's school funding system is underfunding schools by billions. (District Court, Denver County, Colorado, December 9, 2011 / compiled by the Attorney General, State of Colorado, 2011 / The Denver Post, December 9, 2011)
• See how the Occupy Wall Street movement fits into a broader historical perspective in finance and the economy. (Congressional Research Service, November 14, 2011)
• Don't call, text or update while behind the wheel—a nationwide ban on use of portable electronic devices while driving has been recommended. (National Transportation Safety Board, December 13, 2011)

This entry was posted on December 15, 2011 at 3:15 PM and has received 1365 views. Print this entry.

On Tuesday, December 13, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a recommendation calling for the first-ever nationwide ban on the use of personal electronic devices while driving. To read the NTSB press release and view a synopsis of the report, please visit: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/2011/111213.html

Below are resources for learning more about this issue.

Texas laws and legislation:
The following Texas laws relate to the use of a wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle. Currently, no statewide ban on texting while driving exists in Texas.

Transportation Code § 545.424 Operation of a Vehicle by Person Under 18 years of Age
Transportation Code § 545.425 Use of Wireless Communication Device
Education Code Ch. 1001 Driver and Safety Education

Relevant bills that passed the 82nd Legislature (2011) are below. To find all introduced legislation on this topic, as well as legislation from previous sessions, you may do a subject search in Texas Legislature Online on the subjects EMAIL & ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS (S0321) and Vehicles & Traffic--Rules of the Road (I0860) combined.

HB 242: Relating to the enforcement of public safety, including the privileges and duties of certain types of law enforcement officers.
Vetoed by the Governor on June 17, 2011.

HB 1899: Relating to the posting of signs in school crossing zones regarding the prohibited use of a wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle.

HB 2466: Relating to the licensing and operation of motor vehicles by minors.

SB 1330: Relating to driving safety courses for individuals younger than 25 years of age receiving deferred disposition for certain traffic offenses.

50-State surveys:
The National Conference of State Legislatures has compiled a chart, "Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws." The chart covers cell phone and texting bans, and whether crash data is collected by the state related to cell phone use or texting while driving. (Updated December 2011)

The Governors Highway Safety Association provides a chart, "Cell Phone and Texting Laws," outlining all state cell phone and text messaging laws that affect drivers. A brief overview summarizing which states have enacted various laws on the issue precedes the chart. (Updated December 2011)

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety incorporates maps into the chart, "Cellphone and texting laws." The maps illustrate handheld bans, young driver bans, bus driver bans, and texting bans. (Updated December 2011)

Research studies:

This entry was posted on December 14, 2011 at 3:53 PM and has received 7495 views. Print this entry.

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

• Examine the growing 65-and-older and 90-and-older populations reflected in the most recent census data. (U.S. Census Bureau, November 2011)
• Consider the rising cost of health insurance premiums. (Kaiser Health News, November 17, 2011)
• Explore borrower rights during the foreclosure process. (Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, November 2011)
• Note that the Texas commissioner of education has adopted minimum standards concerning school district financial conditions that must exist for declaration of a financial exigency by the board of trustees of the district. (Texas Education Agency, November 22, 2011)

This entry was posted on December 8, 2011 at 3:15 PM and has received 1200 views. Print this entry.

Three cases related to Texas redistricting are pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The following article from SCOTUSBlog provides background and analysis: What's at stake in the Texas election cases? (12/04/11)

To track news about these cases, as well as other developments related to the 2011 Texas redistricting cycle, please visit:
Texas Redistricting Library (Texas Legislative Council)
Texas Redistricting (independent blog)

Below are documents related to the cases. Additional documents are available and may be linked from the TLC Redistricting Library or Texas Redistricting (mentioned above).

This entry was posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:35 AM and has received 2241 views. Print this entry.

This entry was posted on December 6, 2011 at 9:34 AM and has received 2413 views. Print this entry.

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

• Track state-to-state migration in America and note that the moving rate has dropped. (U.S. Census Bureau, November 15, 2011)
• Check out the Autism Legislative Database to find autism legislation from 2008 to the present. (National Conference of State Legislatures, updated November 21, 2011)
• See how poverty is re-emerging in metropolitan areas. (Brookings Institution, November 3, 2011)
• Consider the effect of unemployment and recession on American workers, and policies for increasing economic growth and employment. (Hamilton Project, November 2011 / Congressional Budget Office, November 15, 2011)
• Read about the process of assessing the extent of damage to the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and plans for restoring the ecology in affected areas of the Gulf. (National Research Council, November 10, 2011)
• Explore shale gas mining: managing its risks, assessing the future of the natural gas market, and recognizing the hazards to drinking water and wildlife. (Resources for the Future, November 14, 2011 / Deloitte, 2011 / National Wildlife Federation, November 16, 2011)

This entry was posted on December 1, 2011 at 3:15 PM and has received 1279 views. Print this entry.