Legislative library home page
Legislative Reference Library of Texas
your partner in legislative research
Legislative Reference Library of Texas
your partner in legislative research
Skip to main content

Current Articles & Research Resources, June 13

Jun 13

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

  • Consider Americans' viewpoints on misinformation. (Pew Research Center, June 5, 2019)
  • Find signed copies of bills via the Secretary of State's website. (Texas Secretary of State, accessed June 12, 2019)
  • Explore legislation state by state related to consumer data privacy. (National Conference of State Legislatures, June 7, 2019)
  • Read about how toll charges vary among drivers from in state and out of state. (Stateline, June 7, 2019)

Members of the Texas legislative community may request the articles below here or by calling 512-463-1252.

  • "Less than 'zero tolerance.'" By Lorelei Laird. ABA Journal: The Lawyer's Magazine, June 2019, pp. 16-18.
    Examines whether federal drug crime prosecutions are taking a back seat to misdemeanor unlawful entry prosecutions required under the zero tolerance policy for immigrants who cross the border without authorization.
  • "Winners and losers at the Capitol." By Kimberly Reeves. Austin Business Journal, June 7, 2019, pp. 20-21.
    Picks groups that benefitted the most or lost out in the 86th Legislature.
  • "The impact of imposing sales taxes on business inputs." By Andrew Phillips and Muath Ibaid. Council on State Taxation, May 2019, pp. 1-27 (Note Length).
    Analyzes state sales taxation of business purchases and negative implications for overall state tax policy, including pyramiding, lack of transparency, and competitiveness. Discusses the previous failure of broad-based sales tax reform efforts to exempt business inputs in Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Nebraska. Includes state tables on the estimated business share of state and local taxes.
  • "Climate change and the Midwest: Soaked and less sceptical." Economist, June 1st-7th, 2019, pp. 21-22.
    Explains how floods and storms are revising inland America's attitude to climate change.
  • "School funding: Testing time." Economist, June 8th-14th, 2019, p. 29.
    Examines the effects of public school budget cuts during the Great Recession on pupils' test scores. Related information at: https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/11-29-17sfp.pdf.
  • "86th Texas Legislature." By Cassandra Pollock. Fort Worth Business Press, June 3-9, 2019, pp. 14-15.
    Examines the performance of Dennis Bonnen as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives during the regular session of the 86th Legislature. Includes quotes from both Democratic and Republican members of the House.
  • "Updated opportunity zone rules ease investor concerns." By Jeff Jeffrey. Houston Business Journal, May 23, 2019, pp. 26-27.
    Reports on the recent Department of the Treasury's guidance on IRS rules for opportunity zones that may ease investors' concerns while also spurring economic development.
  • "Ten tips for policymakers for improving probation." By Marc Levin. Internet Resource, May 2019, pp. 1-12.
    Discusses probation as an alternative to incarceration and provides ten tips to increase its effectiveness, fairness, and efficiency. Mentions SB1055, 82nd Legislature.
  • "Toward equality of educational opportunity: What's most promising?" By Arthur E. Wise. Phi Delta Kappan, May 2019, pp.8-13.
    Reviews three reform strategies that have been employed to provide broader access to high-quality teaching and education resources. Explains improvements in teacher professionalism and quality offers more promise than equity lawsuits or renewed standards and accountability.
  • "Foster care crisis opens doors to second-chance parents." By Teresa Wiltz. Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), June 5, 2019, pp. 1-6.
    Reports several states have enacted or proposed laws making it easier for parents to reinstate their parental rights after they have been terminated. Notes critics' concerns that returning kids to unfit parents will jeopardize their safety.
  • "What's killing Texans?" By Sean Price. Texas Medicine, June 2019, pp. 22-29.
    Explains Texas' system for investigating deaths and completing death certificates. Notes HB3716, 86th Legislature, which potentially lowers the number of medical examiner offices in Texas. Calls for greater physician education on why completing death certificates correctly is vital to collecting accurate death statistics.
  • "The price of oil." By Christian Wallace. Texas Monthly, June 2019, pp. 76-80, 145-157.
    Profiles the effects of the oil industry on residents of the Permian Basin. Discusses how the current boom has increased the cost of living and negatively impacted education and roads in the region. Mentions Rep. Brooks Landgraf.

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.

This entry was posted on June 13, 2019 at 3:15 PM and has received 1041 views. Print this entry.