In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.
- Explore how local governments are addressing flood risk. (Pew Charitable Trusts, November 19, 2019)
- Read about the women who have served in Congress throughout history to today. (Congressional Research Service, November 13, 2019)
- Find trustworthy sources of election information. (Texas Secretary of State, November 12, 2019)
- Review the text of the General Appropriations Act for the 2020-21 biennium. (Legislative Budget Board, released November 20, 2019)
Members of the Texas legislative community may request the articles below here or by calling 512-463-1252.
- "Uncaring: Will you be denied medical assistance because of someone else's religion?" By Liz Hayes. Church & State, November 2019, pp. 9-11.
Discusses the possible effects of the Trump administration's proposed Denial of Care rule on patients and health care providers. - "California utilities: Sparks fly." Economist, November 9th-15th, 2019, p. 58.
Reports on the three-way battle for control of California's Pacific Gas & Electric, which declared bankruptcy due to potential liabilities from huge fire-related expenses. Notes the utility risks a state takeover if it is not restructured by a June 30 deadline. - "The splinternet: Net loss." Economist, November 9th-15th, 2019, pp. 53-54.
Reports big tech firms are facing an increase in new international laws controlling what they can host on their online platforms. - "The effects of full-day prekindergarten: Experimental evidence of impacts on children's school readiness." By Allison Atteberry. Educational Evaulation and Policy Analysis, December 2019, pp. 537-563. (Note length)
Presents results from a randomized controlled trial [RCT] study conducted on the effects of full- versus half-day prekindergarten in Colorado. Claims this is the first rigorous evidence of the positive impact of full-day prekindergarten on the school readiness skills of children. - "Texas driver's licenses: A customer service challenge." By Lisa Minton. Fiscal Notes, October 2019, pp. 7-10.
Discusses the lengthy wait times in the state driver's license offices administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Driver License Improvement Plan established by the Legislature in 2011, and the methods employed in other states to reduce driver's license wait times. - "Measles, mumps, and communion: A vision for vaccine policy." By Joshua T.B. Williams. Health Affairs, November 2019, pp. 1944-1947.
Proposes using the Beloved Community concept of love and justice to craft inclusive policies that protect public health and respect religious belief. - "Medicaid expansion associated with reductions in preventable hospitalizations." By Hefei Wen, et al. Health Affairs, November 2019, pp. 1845-1849.
Analyzes hospital inpatient discharge data and finds that Medicaid expansions were associated with meaningful downstream reductions in hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, such as COPD, diabetes-related complications, and bacterial pneumonia. - "The number of uninsured children is on the rise." By Joan Alker and Lauren Roygardner. Internet Resource, October 2019, pp. 1-19.
Reports that the number of uninsured children in the United States increased by more than 400,000. Includes Texas on lists on 15 states showing statistically significant increases in the number and rate of uninsured children. Notes demographic characteristics of uninsured children. - "The long-term economic forecast for Texas metropolitan areas." By M. Ray Perryman. Perryman Report and Texas Letter, Vol. 36, No, 8, pp. 1-3, 6.
Highlights results from the most recent long-term forecast for Texas' metropolitan statistical areas [MSAs], the major drivers of economic activity across the state. Notes the largest MSAs account for 75.7 percent of wages and salary employment in the state and 77.6 percent of output. - "5G is the future." By Eric Boehm. Reason, November 2019, pp. 21-27.
Explains the significance of the developing 5G cellular network technology infrastructure. Identifies federal and local proposals and philosophies for regulating its formation and growth. - "The politics of Medicaid expansion have changed." By Michael Ollove. Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), November 13, 2019, pp. 1-7.
Examines factors making Medicaid expansion more favorable for Republican lawmakers. - "Texas outlaws 'deepfakes' — but can they be stopped?" By Kenneth Artz. Texas Lawyer, December 2019, pp. 16-17.
Discusses SB751, 86th Legislature, which amended the state's Election Code to criminalize deceptive videos created with the intent to influence the outcome of an election. Questions the new law's constitutionality, noting political speech is one of the highest forms of protected speech. - "Big noises, big issues." By Joey Berlin. Texas Medicine, November 2019, pp. 18-23.
Identifies and discusses some of the major health care issues in the 2020 election cycle, including health coverage, Medicaid, suprise medical bills, prescription drugs, and opioids. - "Special report — Texas pension funds achieve milestone in 2018-19." TEXPERS News Update, November 13, 2019, pp. 1-4.
Reports on amortization period trends, a measure of Texas public retirement systems' health. (Related charts at: https://www.texpers.org/2019_am_period_charts)
The Legislative Reference Library compiles this weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. Professional librarians review and select articles from more than 300 periodicals, including public policy journals, specialized industry periodicals, news magazines, and state agency publications. Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles using our online form.
