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, August 8

Aug 8

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.

  • Explore reasons the teen birth rate is dropping. (Pew Research Center, August 2, 2019)
  • Track President Trump's judicial appointments. (Heritage Foundation, updated August 2, 2019)
  • Consider whether college should come with a money-back guarantee. (Manhattan Institute, July 9, 2019)
  • Learn what to expect about invitations to respond to the 2020 Census. (U.S. Census Bureau, May 9, 2019)

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

  • "Behind the 'cannabusiness' boom." By Paul Thompson. Austin Business Journal, August 2, 2019, pp. 12-15.
    Discusses how HB3703 and HB1325, 86th Legislature, are paving the way for hemp and cannabis product entrepreneurs to flourish.
  • "The real cannabis rush." By Craig Giammona, Bruce Einhorn, and Ashley Robinson. Bloomberg Businessweek, July 22, 2019, pp. 16-18.
    Examines the economic effects of the legalization of hemp and hemp products. Questions whether hemp will saturate the global market and affect prices.
  • "Special report: DFW's opportunity knocks." By Craig M. Douglas and Claire Ballor. Dallas Business Journal, July 26, 2019, pp. 14-19.
    Presents a primer on the Opportunity Zone program established under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and raises potential red flags. Identifies designated opportunity zones in core Dallas-Fort Worth counties.
  • "Overcrowded primaries: A Democratic dilemma." Economist, July 27th-August 2nd, 2019, pp. 19-20.
    Traces the roots of the current system of nominating presidential candidates. Considers whether political parties should let anyone run for president.
  • "The changing landscape of homeschooling in the United States." By Aaron Hirsh. Internet Resource, July 2019, pp. 1-8.
    Examines the state of homeschooling in the United States in 2019. Includes discussion of the changing demographics of homeschoolers, the new models of homeschooling, and state policies that govern homeschooling.
  • "Student debt: An overlooked barrier to increasing teacher diversity." By Bayliss Fiddiman, Colleen Campbell, and Lisette Partelow. Internet Resource, July 9, 2019, pp. 1-18.
    Examines the student loan debt of Black and Latinx teachers. Argues the debt burden of teachers of color is a deterrent to diversifying the teaching workforce. Offers policy recommendations for reducing the student debt of minority teachers and increasing the chances they will enter or remain in the teaching profession.
  • "California energy storage initiatives: Surfing the storage wave." By Nathan C. Howe, Stuart Murray, and Sarah Elias. Natural Resources & Environment, Summer 2019, pp. 18-22.
    Discusses California's policy initiatives in energy storage development that have resulted from their increased use of intermittent renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power. Highlights the efforts of other jurisdictions active in storage development, including: minimum storage capacity targets, wholesale market frameworks, and new rate structures to incentivize customer storage.
  • "Permian pipeline projects race to remove export bottlenecks." By Christopher E. Smith. Oil and Gas Journal, July 1, 2019, pp. 59-61.
    Highlights planned pipeline projects that will help transport crude oil from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast.
  • "Wanted: Lawyers for rural America." By April Simpson. Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), June 26, 2019, pp. 1-7.
    Reports the decline of rural lawyers has created "legal deserts" in several states, limiting vulnerable populations' access to legal representation. Discusses several states' efforts to curb the decline and to use non-lawyers to narrow the justice gap.
  • "Lingering effects of subprime lending." By Luis B. Torres, Carter Neill, and Clare Losey. Tierra Grande, July 2019, pp. 19-25.
    Examines how mortgage lending has changed in Texas since the fallout from subprime lending and the Great Recession. Details changes by city and race for Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.

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 August 8, 2019 at 3:15 PM and has received 966 views. Print this entry.