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Interim Hearings - Week of February 6, 2012

Jan 30

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.
 

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Charge 4: Transparency in asbestos bankruptcy trusts

Charge 6: Whether asbestos and silica multidistrict litigation courts should be allowed to dismiss claims on their inactive dockets

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

House Committee on State Affairs

Charge 1: Resource adequacy in the Texas electricity market including federal and state interventions in the marketplace that may be negatively impacting future adequacy, and the best way to maintain resource adequacy

This entry was posted on January 30, 2012 at 2:45 PM and has received 1799 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, January 26th

Jan 26

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.

  • Consider the American housing market and nine deficiencies with it. (Federal Reserve Board, January 4, 2012 / Brookings Institution, December 28, 2011)
  • Examine the impact of raising the ages of eligibility for Medicare and Social Security. (Congressional Budget Office, January 2012)
  • See how states are using managed care to rein in Medicaid costs. (Capitol Ideas E-Newsletter, January/February 2012)
  • Read about how government health care programs fall short when it comes to dental coverage. (USA Today, Janaury 19, 2012)
  • Check out a 50-state Medicaid and CHIP survey. (Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, January 2012)
  • Review a report about law school transparency. (Law School Transparency, January 2012)
  • Explore the challenges of availability and affordability of fresh fruit and vegetables across America. (Food Research and Action Center, December 2011)

This entry was posted on January 26, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 886 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, January 19th

Jan 19

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 public–private partnerships for highway projects. (Congressional Budget Office, January 2012)
  • Consider the rising population of homeless children in America. (National Center on Family Homelessness, December 13, 2011)
  • Review issues related to the Keystone XL pipeline project and the State Department's denial of the permit application. (Congressional Research Service, December 12, 2011 / U.S. Department of State, January 18, 2012)
  • Look back at the progress of voting rights and South Carolina v. Katzenback. (Legal History Blog, January 5, 2012)
  • Check out the Texas Financial Services Industry Report. (Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism, January 2012)
  • Explore the first hundred years of the Texas prison system. (Texas State Library and Archives Commission, introductory page last modified November 16, 2011)
  • Find a brief explanation of SOPA and PIPA federal legislation. (PCWorld, January 17, 2012)

This entry was posted on January 19, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 956 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Weeks of January 23 and 30, 2012

Jan 17

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.

 

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

House Committee on Public Education

Topic: Implementation of State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), specifically impact on students, instruction, teachers, and graduation or promotion rates

Topic: Implementation of requirement that end-of-course assessment count for 15 percent of the student's course grade

Topic: Changes to graduation or testing requirements that support instructional rigor and postsecondary readiness

 

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

House Committee on Culture, Recreation, & Tourism

Topic: Improve long-term funding for state parks

Topic:  Effects of drought and wildfires on tourism and recreation in Texas

House Committee on Public Health 

Topic: Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Medicaid 1115 Waiver

Topic: Overutilization of orthodontic services in Medicaid

 

Topic: DSHS policies for hiring personnel and monitoring patient safety at state hospitals

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

House Committee on Economic & Small Business Development 

Topic: Texas' industry cluster initiatives, implementation of recommendations made by the Governor's Competitiveness Council, and new recommendations for Texas to remain an economic development leader

 

Monday, January 30th, 2012

House Committee on Technology  - CANCELLED

Invited testimony
 
Senate Committee on Economic Development

Topic: Implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Economic Development, 82nd Legislature

Topic: Economic development incentives targeting niche markets such as the creation of data centers, film incentives, etc. (special industry clusters), and whether such incentives should be offered

 

This entry was posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:18 PM and has received 1602 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, January 12th

Jan 12

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.

  • See which college majors are at higher risk for unemployment. (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, January 4, 2012)
  • Consider the effects of long-term hardship in the labor market. (Center for Economic Policy and Research, January 2012)
  • Find child nutrition programs by state. (United States Department of Agriculture, November 30, 2011)
  • Explore legal immigration in the United States. (Migration Policy Institute, December 2011)
  • Review new standards for limiting mercury and other toxic pollution from power plants. (United States Environmental Protection Agency, December 21, 2011)
  • Read about state-level energy-related carbon dioxide emissions tracked over the last decade. (United States Energy Information Administration, January 9, 2012)
  • Note that a federal court has rejected the Texas Legislature's claim to legislative privilege, and keep up with events pertaining to Perry v. Perez on the SCOTUSblog. (The Thicket, National Conference of State Legislatures, January 6, 2012 / Supreme Court of the United States blog, January 2012)

This entry was posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 997 views. Print this entry.

Texas' "Sonogram" Law: Key Court Documents

Jan 12

posted by Admin in Court cases



The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled Tuesday, January 10, 2012 that the provisions of Texas' "abortion sonogram law" (HB 15, 82nd R.S.) are constitutional and can be enforced. The ruling overturned an August 30, 2011 U.S. District Court ruling that blocked key provisions of the new law. Below you will find the legislation and key court documents associated with the case.HB 15, 82nd Regular Session: Relating to informed consent to an abortion.

June 13, 2011: Class action complaint:
Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services, et al. v. David Lakey, Commissioner of Texas Department of State Health Services, et al.; Class action complaint (No. 1:11-cv-00486, abortion sonogram law, HB 15, 82nd Leg.).

June 30, 2011: Plaintiff's motion for injunction:
Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services, et al. v. David Lakey, Commissioner of Texas Department of State Health Services, et al.; Plaintiff's motion for preliminary injunction (No. 1:11-cv-00486, abortion sonogram law, HB 15, 82nd Leg.).

August 30, 2011: Court ruling (Judge Sam Sparks, U.S. District Court):
Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services, et al. v. David Lakey (Commissioner of Texas Department of State Health Services), et al.; Order and Notice of Appeal by Attorney General (No. 1:11-cv-00486, abortion sonogram law, HB 15, 82nd Leg.).

September 28, 2011: Appeal by Texas Attorney General filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States:
David Lakey, Commissioner of Texas Department of State Health Services, et al. v. Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services, et al.; Emergency application for stay of preliminary injunction pending appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Appendices and lower court rulings including 5th Circuit Sept. 28, 2011 (No. 11A335, abortion sonogram law, HB 15, 82nd Leg.).


January 10, 2012: Court ruling (U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit) (Revised January 17, 2012):
Texas Medical Providers Providing Abortion Services, et al. v. David Lakey, Commissioner of Texas Department of State Health Services and Mari Robinson, Executive Director, Texas Medical Board (No. 11-50814, abortion sonogram law, HB 15, 82nd Regular Session).  

January 13, 2012: Mandate order (U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit):
Texas Medical Providers Providing Abortion Services, et al. v. David Lakey, Commissioner of Texas Department of State Health Services and Mari Robinson, Executive Director, Texas Medical Board; Appellants’ motion for immediate issuance of mandate or, in the alternative, for a stay of the district court’s preliminary injunction order pending issuance of the mandate, Court order granting (No. 11-50814, abortion sonogram law, HB 15, 82nd Regular Session)
 

This entry was posted on January 12, 2012 at 1:55 PM and has received 2994 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Week of January 17, 2012

Jan 10

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.

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security

Topic: Wildfire emergency preparation and response, including ways to facilitate better communication, collaboration, and response; training of emergency responders; and best practices in urban forest management and fuel reduction policies

House Committee on County Affairs

Topic: Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Medicaid 1115 Waiver

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Topic: Rules of statutory construction and establish a method of determining legislative intent

This entry was posted on January 10, 2012 at 3:49 PM and has received 996 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, January 5th

Jan 5

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.

  • Compare housing costs and wages in various metropolitan areas. (Urban Institute, December 5, 2011)
  • See the federal budget in one graphic. (Congressional Budget Office, 2011)
  • Check out a state-by-state review of state election websites. (Pew Center on the States, 2011)
  • Find a calendar of presidential primaries and caucuses. (National Association of Secretaries of State, December 22, 2011)
  • Explore how physical activity and academic success are linked. (Education Week, January 3, 2012)
  • Read a fact sheet on the California and Texas Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waivers. (Kaiser commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, December 15, 2011)
  • Consider government tracking of cell phones and vehicles, and how technology and privacy intersect. (Congressional Budget Office, December 1, 2011)

This entry was posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 769 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Week of January 9, 2012

Jan 3

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.

 

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Senate Committee on Business & Commerce

Topic: Quarterly updates from state agencies and entities including the Texas Department of Insurance and Public Utility Commission

Topic: Impact of current and anticipated drought conditions on electric generation capacity

Sunset Advisory Commission

Topics: Organizational information, overview of sunset process, approval of review schedule, proposed meeting schedule, approval of changes in Sunset Commission Across-the-Board Recommendations (ATBs), approval of operating budget

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations

Topic: Affordable housing after disasters, best practices for emergency short-term and long-term housing

Topic: Housing and development codes, and "hardening" guidelines for structures in areas prone to natural disasters; best practices for landowners on fire risk mitigation, fuel reduction, and urban forest management to reduce exposure to wildland fires

 

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

House Committee on County Affairs

Topic: Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Medicaid 1115 Waiver

 

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

House Committee on Economic & Small Business Development 

Topic: Texas' industry cluster initiatives, implementation of recommendations made by the Governor's Competitiveness Council, and new recommendations for Texas to remain an economic development leader

This entry was posted on January 3, 2012 at 2:07 PM and has received 2245 views. Print this entry.