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Week in Review, October 25th

Oct 25

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 Americans without health insurance. (Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2012)
  • Explore the efficacy of federal funding programs for rural water infrastructure. (Government Accountability Office, October 2012)
  • Consider how difficult it is to gauge the effect of states' voter laws. (The Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2012)
  • See how income stagnation is affecting upcoming elections. (The New York Times, October 23, 2012)
  • Examine whether retraining the jobless results in employment. (ProPublica, October 10, 2012)
  • Chart ups and downs in the housing market and creation of new households in the wake of the Great Recession. (The Atlantic, Cities, October 23, 2012)
  • Check out a visual depiction of the benefits of working from home. (Fast Company, October 19, 2012)

This entry was posted on October 25, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 1614 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of October 29, 2012

Oct 23

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. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

 

October 30th

Senate Committees on Criminal Justice and Education  (Joint Hearing)

Charge: School discipline practices, Alternative Education Programs (DAEP), and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs (JJAEP)

 

Senate Committee on Criminal Justice (upon adjournment of Joint Hearing with Education)

Charge: Prescription drug abuse trends

 

Charge: Implementation of SB 321, 82nd R.S., Relating to an employee's transportation and storage of certain firearms or ammunition while on certain property owned or controlled by the employee's employer

 

Senate Committee on Education (upon adjournment of Joint Hearing with Criminal Justice)

Charge: Monitor implementation of legislation, specifically, the following:

 

November 1st

Topic: Windstorm insurance in this state

 

This entry was posted on October 23, 2012 at 8:09 AM and has received 2691 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 18th

Oct 18

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.
  • Explore the 2013 State Business Tax Climate Index. (Tax Foundation, Fiscal Year 2013)
  • Read about the fees lawmakers are considering to raise money for roads in Texas. (The Texas Tribune, October 16, 2012)
  • Consider how choosing what to study in college affects lifetime earnings. (U.S. Census Bureau, October 10, 2012)
  • Examine a state-by-state review of laws affecting unaccompanied homeless children. (National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty / National Network for Youth, September 2012)
  • See resources to help check the facts during this election year. (LLRX.com, October 16, 2012)
  • Track which bad health habits Americans can't seem to quit. (Scientific American, October 15, 2012)

This entry was posted on October 18, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 2131 views. Print this entry.

New: State Symbols on Pinterest

Oct 15

posted by Admin in LRL news

In 1901, Texas legislators designated the Bluebonnet (Lupinus Subcarnosus) the Official State Flower. Shortly after that, in 1919, they named the Pecan Tree the State Tree of Texas. Since then, more than 60 state symbols have been designated, ranging from Official State Footwear (cowboy boot) to Official State Cooking Implement (cast iron Dutch oven).
 
See the entire collection of state symbols on our new Pinterest page, "State Symbols of Texas." For each symbol we included an image and linked to the resolution or bill that designated it.
 
Screenshot of State Symbols Pinterest board
 

This entry was posted on October 15, 2012 at 8:21 AM and has received 7651 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 11th

Oct 11

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 Latinos registered to vote, past Latino voter turnout, and the number of eligible Latino voters in Texas. (Pew Hispanic Center, October 1, 2012)
  • Consider the funding challenges of public research universities. (National Science Foundation, 2012)
  • Examine teen drinking and driving statistics. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 2012)
  • See which states have laws related to traumatic brain injury and youth sports-related concussions. (National Conference of State Legislatures, updated September 2012)
  • View a map of dried-out vegetation across America. (NASA Earth Observatory, October 3, 2012)

This entry was posted on October 11, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 1746 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Weeks of October 15 and 22, 2012

Oct 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. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings, and a list of upcoming Budget Hearings.

 

October 15th

House Committee on Public Health

Charge: Texas Health Care Transformation and Quality Improvement Program  Medicaid 1115 Waiver

Charge: Delivery of dental services in Medicaid

 

Joint Committee on Cruise Industry Development

Charge: Cruise industry in South Texas

 

October 17th

Charge: Timing imbalance of state's revenues and expenditures, ways to minimize short-term borrowing need

 

Charge: Monitor performance of agencies, including operating budgets

 

 

October 18th

Charge: Invasive aquatic species

 

Charge: Effect of drought and wildfires on tourism and recreation

 

Charge: Implementation of HB 3726 (administration of the Alamo)

 

Topic: Status of Battleship Texas

 

Senate Committee on State Affairs  CANCELLED

Charge: State authority and protection from federal overreach

 

 

October 19th

House Committee on Higher Education

Charge: Master plan for higher education beyond 2015

 

Joint Committee on Oversight of Windstorm Insurance  CANCELLED  (meeting will be rescheduled)

Charge: Windstorm insurance in Texas

 

October 22nd

House Committee on Ways & Means CANCELLED

Charge: Property tax administration

 

Senate Committee on State Affairs CANCELLED

Charge: Texas Workers' Compensation system

 

Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation, specifically, SB 100, 82nd Regular Session, relating to implementation and impact of the Military Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act

 

October 24th

House Committee on County Affairs

Charge: Population growth in unincorporated areas and provision of services, including garbage disposal, fire protection, road maintenance, electricity, and water and wastewater service

 

Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and 82nd legislation:

House Committee on State Affairs 

Charge: Resource adequacy in the Texas electricity market

 

Charge: Inefficiencies in the regulation of public utilities to minimize cost to consumers

 

Upcoming Budget Hearings

October 19th

Public Safety, Department of

 

This entry was posted on October 9, 2012 at 8:58 AM and has received 3655 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 4th

Oct 4

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.
  • Examine current levels of state and local government debt in Texas. (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, September 2012)
  • View projected state tax growth for fiscal year 2013. (National Conference of State Legislatures, September 25, 2012)
  • Read about the 2012 long-term projections for the Social Security program's revenues and outlays. (Congressional Budget Office, October 2012)
  • Consider how SAT performance gauges college and career readiness of high school seniors graduating in 2012. (College Board, September 24, 2012)
  • Explore state laws and regulations related to the collateral consequences of conviction. (American Bar Association, 2012)
  • Try a new data tool for searching information on employment, demographics, occupations, and more. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed October 2012)

This entry was posted on October 4, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 2489 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Weeks of October 1 and 8, 2012

Oct 1

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. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings, and a list of upcoming Budget Hearings.

 

October 5th

House Committee on Higher Education

Charge:  Research funding

 

October 8th

House Committee on Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII and Urban Affairs (Joint Hearing) Charge: Homelessness

 
House Committee on Business & Industry 

Charge:  Adverse possession

 

Charge: Deed restrictions

Charge: Monitor agencies and 82nd legislation, including changes to homeowners associations

House Committee on Urban Affairs

Charge:  Monitor agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and implementation of legislation by the 82nd Legislature (upon adjournment of Joint Hearing with House Committee on Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII)

 

Senate Committee on Education   

Charge: Virtual schools

 

October 9th

House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs and Elections (Joint Hearing)

Charge: Implementation and impact of the Military Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act

 

House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Charge: Workforce transition, occupational licensing

 

Charge: Suicide prevention

Senate Committee on Business & Commerce (see the Committee's blog for written testimony, witnesses, and updates, as well as Twitter)

Agency quarterly updates

Charge: Telecommunications market, specifically the Universal Service Fund

 

Charge: Smart meters

 

Charge: Monitor implementation of legislation in the 82nd Regular and Called Sessions, specifically HB 2592 and 2594 relating to payday lending

 

Senate Committee on Government Organization CANCELED

Charge: Cost-effectiveness analysis in state agency rule making

 

Charge: Protection of state information and electronic data

 

UPCOMING BUDGET HEARINGS

October 2nd

Funeral Service Commission

Licensing and Regulation, Texas Department of

 

October 3rd

Stephen F. Austin State University

 

This entry was posted on October 1, 2012 at 8:13 AM and has received 3083 views. Print this entry.