- Committee Meeting Handouts on cybersecurity, House Committee on Urban Affairs, January 20, 2016
- Interim Hearings - Week of January 18, 2016, House Committee on Urban Affairs, Charge 2: Cities' cybersecurity policy, Legislative Reference Library, January 15, 2016
- The Future of Smart Cities: Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Risk, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis, August 2015
- Keeping Smart Cities Smart: Preempting Emerging Cyber Attacks in U.S. Cities, Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, IOActive Security Services, Securing Smart Cities, July 2015

1. The Tejano community, 1836-1900. By Arnoldo De Leon
Examines the daily lives of Mexican Americans from 1836-1900. Paints a picture of a vibrant group of people: enterprising, success –oriented, and interested and active in politics. Includes chapters on religion, folklore, education, and entertainment revealing a complex community of people in the process of social change. Defines the life that the Tejanos made for themselves at a time when they were an exploited minority.
The University of New Mexico Press, 1982. 277 pages.
976.4 D34T 1982

2. Riding fence. By June Rayfield Welch
Explores the periphery of the state, the outlying communities and people whose stories have often fallen through the cracks of Texas history. Presents a treasure trove of Texana, giving special attention to border counties and towns that have acted as filters for adjoining cultures. Highlights specific geographic areas such as the Louisiana Line, Roy Bean Country, and the Staked Plains to show how specific people and events have created the Texas story.
GLA Press, 1983. 209 pages.
976.4 W444R 1983

3. Texas: the dark corner of the confederacy. By Edited by B.P. Galloway
Presents a history of Texas during the Civil War years through firsthand descriptions, dating from the eve of the Civil War to the collapse of the Confederacy, by civilians and soldiers from all over the state. Includes excerpts from diaries, journals, almanacs, official documents, speeches, reminiscences, and memoirs, as well as maps of the counties of Civil War Texas and counties voting for and against secession.
University of Nebraska Press, 1994. 286 pages.
973.7464 G135T 1994

4. Muleshoe & more: the remarkable stories behind the naming of Texas towns. By Bill Bradfield and Clare Bradfield
Lists over 700 Texas towns, alphabetically from Abilene to Zephyr, and how they received their monikers. Offers a variety of interesting backstories and little known facts for Texas towns from the Rio Grande to the Pan Handle. Illustrates the eclectic cities that help define Texas' uniqueness.
Gulf Publishing Company, 1999. 218 pages.
917.64003 B727M 1999

5. Dining at the Governor's Mansion. By Carl. R. McQueary
Presents the culinary and social history of the Texas Governor’s Mansion from the mid-nineteenth century forward. Focuses on food, food preparation, and entertainment at the mansion and their place in the lives of the first ladies and their families. Includes brief biographical sketches of the first ladies, highlighting the imprint each woman left on the Governor’s Mansion and on the history of Texas. Contains over 200 historic recipes.
Texas A&M University Press, 2003. 317 pages.
641.59764 M879D 2003

6. The Texas League, 1888-1987: a century of baseball. By Bill O'Neal
Examines the then-100 year history of The Texas League, which was officially formed in 1888, and recognized as a minor-league within the National Association system in 1901. Details all aspects of the league, from its pre-1888 history as an amateur/semi-pro league, through the ebb-and-flow of baseball's popularity throughout the 20th century, and to its centennial season in 1987. Includes information on the cities of the league, their ballparks, and both team and player statistics.
Eakin Press, 1987. 389 pages.
796.357 ON2T 1987
Week in Review, February 11
Feb 11
- Track the economic recovery from the Great Recession by state. (Pew Charitable Trusts, February 3, 2016)
- Review litigation between the states and the federal government related to the enforcement of immigration law. (Congressional Research Service, January 27, 2016)
- Read about the gig economy and on-demand services. (Congressional Research Service, February 5, 2016)
- Find the 2016 March primary election candidate filings by county. (Texas Secretary of State, accessed February 10, 2016)
- State Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, National Conference of State Legislatures, October 15, 2015
- "Indiana's Flawed Religious Freedom Law," Indiana Law Review, Volume 49, Number 1, 2015
- Report to the 77th Legislature: Charge 9, Monitoring Implementation of Texas RFRA and Electronic Filing (History Behind SB 138, 76th Legislature, R.S., Religious Freedom Restoration Act; Appendix I, Written Testimony of Douglas Laycock, The University of Texas School of Law, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice, April 13, and May 5, 2000), Senate Committee on State Affairs, November 1, 2000
- Healthy Aging Summit: Summary of Proceedings, American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), July 2015
- How State Health Agencies Can Support Healthy Aging (Issue brief), Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, 2014
- Aging Texas Well (Texas Healthy Lifestyles), Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services
- Program on Healthy Aging, Texas A&M Health Science Center
- Healthy Aging, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
- Department of Aging and Disabilities Services: Sunset Staff Report with Final Results (Summary of Final Results and Issue 4) Sunset Advisory Commission, July 2015
- Interim Report to the 83rd Texas Legislature (Innovative Long-Term Care Strategies), Joint Legislative Committee on Aging, January 2013
- An Audit Report on Nursing Facility Complaint Processing at the Department of Aging and Disability Services, State Auditor's Office, August 2011
- Interim Report 2004, 79th Texas Legislature (Regulation and Quality of Care), Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Long-Term Care, November 2004
- "Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds 'Wrongful Birth' Statute," Jurist, November 20, 2015
- "Statutory Prohibitions on Wrongful Birth Claims &Their Dangerous Effects on Parents," Boston College Journal of Law & Social Justice, Vol. 34, Issue 2, May 2014
- "The Disabling Impact of Wrongful Birth and Wrongful Life Actions," Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Vol. 40, No. 1, Winter 2005
- Retirement Benefits for Elected State Officials, Employees Retirement System of Texas, January 2016
- "Analysis: A Judicious Swipe at Lawmaker Pensions," Texas Tribune, November 19, 2015
- "Texas: Latest in Two Decades of Efforts to End Straight Ticket Voting for Judicial Races," Gavel to Gavel: A Review of State Legislation Affecting the Courts, March 6, 2015
- "It’s Time to End Straight-Ticket Voting in Texas," Representative Ron Simmons, Texas Tribune, February 15, 2015
- Studies of Political Statistics: Straight Ticket Voting in Texas 1998-2014, Report #9, Austin Community College, Updated December 17, 2014
- Report of the Judicial Compensation Commission, Office of Court Administration, November 21, 2014
- Report on Judicial Salaries and Turnover for Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013, Office of Court Administration, June 2014
- "How Lawmakers’ Pensions Would Grow Under Budget," Texas Tribune, May 13, 2013
- "Straight-Ticket Voting Takes a Trusting Soul," New York Times, October 13, 2012
- "Straight-Ticket Voting and Judicial Accountability: Can the Two Coexist?", Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, September 24, 2012
- Interim Report to the 79th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 - Judicial salaries, retirement, and benefit; and visiting, and retired), Senate Committee on Jurisprudence, December 2004
- Explore what local health agencies across the U.S. are doing to address the Zika virus. (Governing, February 4, 2016)
- Read about the new lower passing score for the GED Testing Service. (Education Week, Curriculum Matters, January 20, 2016)
- Consider the federal corrections system and recent recommendations for improving it. (Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, January 2016)
- Review developing policy and regulations related to unmanned aircraft systems. (Congressional Research Service, January 27, 2016)
- Examine the effect of the removal of Planned Parenthood from the Texas Women's Health Program. (The New England Journal of Medicine, February 3, 2016)
- "States at a Crossroads on Criminal Justice Reform," Stateline, January 28, 2016
- 2014 Drug Guidelines Amendment: Retroactivity Data Report (Geographical distribution - Texas), U.S. Sentencing Commission, December 2015
- Statistical Report: Fiscal Year 2014 (Demographic highlights by type of offense, statistics by offense of record), Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 2014
- Interim Report to the 82nd Texas Legislature (Charge 2 - Community-based corrections supervision and treatment programs), House Committee on Corrections, December 2010
- Interim Report: 78th Legislature: Charge One (Alternatives to incarceration for non-violent drug offenders), Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, November 2002
- Making Sense of Sentencing: State Systems and Policies (Release policies), National Conference of State Legislatures, June 2015
- Parole Guidelines Annual Report: FY 2014, Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, January 2015
- Annual Statistical Report: FY 2014, Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
- Interim Report to the 83rd Legislature (Charge 5 - Administrative segregation in TDCJ), Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, December 2012
- Parole in Texas, Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division, Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, 2011
- Interim Report to the 82nd Texas Legislature (Charge 3 - Prisoner reentry programs), House Committee on Corrections, December 2010
- "Whose Water Is It Anyway?," Tierra Grande, Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, July 2014 (Revised 2015)
- "Texas Groundwater Rights and Immunities: From East to Day and Beyond," Texas Water Journal, Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, 2014
- "Conserving Private Lands Conserves Water," TXH20, Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, Winter 2014
- "College Readiness? What About High School Readiness?," Education Week, High School & Beyond blog, October 13, 2015
- Research Study: The Forgotten Middle, ACT, Inc., September 2014 (update to The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students Are on Target for College and Career Readiness before High School, 2008)
- "The Middle School Plunge," Education Next, Spring 2012
- Report to the 82nd Legislature (Charge 2 - Middle grades), Senate Committee on Education, December 2010
- National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform
- Federal Legislative Update: Every Student Succeeds Act (gifted education provisions in the new federal education law), National Association for Gifted Children, December 2015
- 2014-2015 State of the States in Gifted Education: Policy and Practice Data, National Association for Gifted Children and The Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted, November 2015
- Equal Talents, Unequal Opportunities: A Report Card on State Support for Academically Talented Low-Income Students, Texas State Report Card, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, March 2015
- Falling Out of the Lead: Following High Achievers Through High School and Beyond, The Education Trust, April 2014
- Justice Reinvestment & State Resources (Reduce recidivism), National Conference of State Legislatures, January 20, 2016
- Multistate Criminal History Patterns of Prisoners Released in 30 states, Bureau of Justice Statistics, September 2015
- Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism, Congressional Research Service, January 12, 2015
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Review Correctional Facilities and Procedures), House Committee on Corrections, January 2015
- Reducing Recidivism: States Deliver Results, The National Reentry Resource Center, June 2014
- Statewide Criminal Justice Recidivism and Revocation Rates, Legislative Budget Board, January 2013
- Interim Report to the 82nd Texas Legislature (Charge 2 & Charge 3), House Committee on Corrections, December 2010
- Interim Report to the 81st Legislature (Charge 2 - Prisoner reentry programs), House Committee on Corrections, January 2009
- Interim Report to the 80th Texas Legislature (Charge 5 - Windham School District), House Committee on Corrections, December 2006
- Reentry and Integration Division and Articles & Reports, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
- Report and Recommendations, Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, December 1, 2014
- "Is Texas Prepared for a Public Health Emergency? ", Texas Tribune, October 2, 2014
- Interim Report to the 82nd Legislature (Charge 3 - Pandemics and public health preparedness), House Committee on Emergency Preparedness, December 2010
- Interim Report to the 81st Texas Legislature (Charge 5 - Public health emergency), House Committee on Defense Affairs & State-Federal Relations, January 2009
- Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Section, Texas Department of State Health Services
- Tripedia: Ebola Virus in Texas, Texas Tribune
- "Texas Ranks Worst in Telehealth," GovernmentHealthIT, January 11, 2016
- Teladoc's Antitrust Suit Against TMB Moves Forward, Texas Medical Association, January 5, 2016
- Telehealth Policy Trends and Considerations, National Conference of State Legislators, December 9, 2015
- State Telehealth Laws and Medicaid Program Policies: A Comprehensive Scan of the 50 States and District of Columbia, Center for Connected Health Policy, July 2015
- "Texas Puts Brakes On Telemedicine — And Teladoc Cries Foul," Kaiser Health News, June 2, 2015
- 50 State Telemedicine Gaps Analysis: Coverage & Reimbursement and 50 State Telemedicine Gaps Analysis: Physician Practice Standards & Licensure , American Telemedicine Association, May 2015
- Telemedicine, Telehealth, and Home Telemonitoring Texas Medicaid Services: Biennial Report to the Texas Legislature, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, December 1, 2014
- Interim Report to the 77th Texas Legislature (Charge II - Telemedicine), House Committee on Public Health, October 2000
- TexLA Telehealth Resource Center, F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
- Placement and use of video cameras
- "Coming To Texas: Special-Ed Cams To Protect Students From Their Own Teachers," NPR Ed, December 15, 2015
- "Texas to Require Cameras in Some Special Ed Classes, But Who Foots Bill?," Dallas Morning News, July 30, 2015
- Training support for counselors, and advising courses for middle school students
- Texas School Counselor Study: Exploring the Supply, Demand, and Evolving Roles of School Counselors, Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, December 2014
- "English Language Learners and the Future of Texas: an Overview of Symposium Discussions, Policy Implications and Next Steps" and "Federal Guidance on Schools' Civil Rights Obligations for English Learners," IDRA Newsletter (Intercultural Development Research Association), May 2015
- State-Level English Language Learner Policies, Education Commission of the States, March 2015
- Dear Colleague Letter: English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents (federal guidance), U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Education, January 7, 2015
- The Academic Achievement of English Language Learners: Data for the U.S. and Each of the States, Child Trends, December 2014
- 84th Texas Legislature: Session Summary, Texas Association of Community Colleges, July 2015
- Community Colleges in the South: Strengthening Readiness and Pathways, Southern Regional Education Board, February 2015
- Blueprint for a Texas Community College "System," National Center for Higher Education Management Systems for Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, June 8, 2012 (Rider 53, 2012-13 General Appropriations Act)
- Interim Report to the 82nd Texas Legislature (Charge 4 - Community college participation and success), House Committee on Higher Education, January 2011
- Interim Report (Charge 2 - Community colleges), Senate Committee on Higher Education, December 2010
- Strategic Plan for Texas Public Community Colleges 2011-2015, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, June 2010
- Assessing the Potential to Expand Community College Baccalaureate Programs in Texas, RAND Corporation, Prepared for Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2014 (SB 414, 83rd R.S.)
- A Matter of Degrees: Practices to Pathways: High-Impact Practices for Community College Student Success, Center for Community College Student Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin, 2014
- Community College Baccalaureate Programs in Texas: Legislative Recommendations, Adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2014
- The Feasibility of Expanding Texas' Community College Baccalaureate Programs: A Report to the 81st Texas Legislature, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, October 2010 (HB 2425, 81st R.S.)
- Interim Hearings - Week of January 25, 2016, Senate Select Committee Property Tax Reform & Relief, Charge: Property tax process and Charge: Tax burden, Legislative Reference Library, January 15, 2016
- Committee Introductory Presentation, Senate Select Committee for Property Tax Reform & Relief, January 27, 2016
- Overview of Property Tax System in Texas (Presentation), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, December 7, 2015
Week in Review, January 28
Jan 28
- Find investigation information and related reports about the West fertilizer explosion and fire. (U.S. Chemical Safety Board, accessed January 28, 2016)
- Read about the gender wage gap and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. (Economic Policy Institute, January 26, 2016)
- View the grand jury indictments related to the Planned Parenthood investigation. (District Court of Harris County, Texas, January 25, 2016)
- Map abortion coverage through Affordable Care Act Marketplace health insurance plans. (Kaiser Family Foundation, January 20, 2016)
Below is a list of members (as of January 27, 2016) not returning to the 85th Texas Legislature.
- A complete list of candidates in the Texas House 2016 Primary can be seen here.
- A list of candidates in the Texas Senate 2016 Primary can be seen here.
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Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock | Retiring |
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Rep. Myra Crownover | Retiring |
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Sen. Kevin Eltife | Retiring |
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Rep. Joe Farias | Resigned effective 8/10/15 |
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Rep. Allen Fletcher | Retiring |
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Sen. Troy Fraser | Retiring |
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Rep. Patricia Harless | Retiring |
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Rep. Bryan Hughes | Seeking another office |
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Rep. Jim Keffer | Retiring |
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Rep. Susan King | Seeking another office |
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Rep. Marisa Márquez | Retiring |
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Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer | Seeking another office |
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Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon | Resigned effective 1/31/16 |
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Rep. Elliott Naishtat | Retiring |
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Rep. John Otto | Retiring |
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Rep. David Simpson | Seeking another office |
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Rep. Scott Turner | Retiring |
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Rep. Sylvester Turner | Resigned effective 1/1/16; sworn in as Mayor of Houston on 1/2/16 |
- "Marketing Texas Groundwater," Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, June 4, 2015, published in Tierra Grande, July 2015
- "The West Needs a Water Market to Fight Drought (Commentary)," Wall Street Journal, October 23, 2014
- Shopping for Water: How the Market Can Mitigate Water Shortages in the American West, The Hamilton Project and Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, October 2014
- "The Texas Water Exchange: A Water Marketplace Emerges," Rivard Report, June 26, 2014
- "Water Scarcity a Potential Drain on the Texas Economy," Southwest Economy, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Fourth Quarter 2013
- "Water Scarcity, Marketing, and Privatization," Robert Glennon, Texas Law Review, June 2005
- Interim Report to the 79th Legislature, Senate Select Committee on Water Policy, December 2004
- Interim Report to the 78th Legislature, Texas Joint Committee on Water Resources, November 2002
- A Texan's Guide to Water and Water Rights Marketing (including the future of water marketing in Texas), Texas Water Development Board
- Texas Water Bank and Water Trust, Texas Water Development Board
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Charge 2 – Groundwater), House Committee on Natural Resources, January 2015
- Report to the 84th Legislature, Texas Groundwater Protection Committee, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, January 2015
- Water for Texas: 2012 State Water Plan, Texas Water Development Board, January 2012
- Interim Report to the 83rd Texas Legislature (Charge 1 – Drought of record and water planning), House Committee on Natural Resources, January 2013
- Water Resources Planning (state water planning, regional water planning and data, population and water demand projections), Texas Water Development Board
- · 2016 Approved Regional Water Plans, Texas Water Development Board
- Drought in Texas, Texas Water Development Board
- Surface Water Rights and Availability (including permits) and Applications for Surface Water Rights and Ownership Changes, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- "Falling Oil Prices Put the Squeeze on State Budgets," CNBC, January 22, 2016
- "Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Says of Plunging Oil prices: 'At Some Point … There Ain’t No More Jobs to Shed'" (blog), Dallas Morning News, January 21, 2016
- "Falling Oil Prices Leading to Drop in Texas Road Funding," Texas Tribune, January 20, 2016
- 2016 Texas Economic Outlook: Riding the Energy Roller Coaster, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, January 12, 2016
- Monthly State Revenue Watch, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Updated January 2016
- Houston Economy in 2016: No Recovery in Oil Markets Brings Another Slow Year, Institute for Regional Forecasting, December 31, 2015
- The 2016-2017 Certification Revenue Estimate, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, October 13, 2015
- "Texas Lawmakers Seek Abbott's Blessing on Oil Theft Crackdown," Texas Tribune, November 29, 2015
- "Oil Theft Soars as Downturn Casts U.S. Roughnecks Out of Work," Bloomberg Business, November 16, 2015
- Vetoes of Legislation: 84th Legislature (HB 3291, 84th Legislature, R.S.), House Research Organization, July 16, 2015
- Veto Proclamation (HB 3291, 84th Legislature, R.S.), Governor Greg Abbott, June 18, 2015
- "Oil Field Theft on the Rise in Texas," Inside Energy, March 9, 2015
- Interim report to the 68th Legislature (Report on Oil Field Theft), House Committee on Energy Resources, 1982
- Oil & Gas, Railroad Commission of Texas
- Oil and Gas Activities, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin
- Interim Hearings - Week of November 30, 2015, Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations, Charge 3: Natural disaster preparedness planning and coordination, Legislative Reference Library, November 23, 2015
- GLO Disaster Recovery Program Overview: Hurricanes Ike & Dolly (Disaster recovery grants allocated and expensed), Texas General Land Office, June 30, 2015
- Interim Charge Recommendations to the 82nd Texas Legislature (Charge: Disaster recovery funding, Hurricane Dolly background), Senate Committee on Finance, January 2011
- State of Texas Amended Plan for Disaster Recovery (Hurricanes Ike & Dolly amended plan), Texas Department of Rural Affairs and Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs, September 30, 2009
- State of Texas Plan for Disaster Recovery (Hurricanes Ike & Dolly action plan), Office of Rural Community Affairs, Disaster Recovery Division and Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs, March 4, 2009
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dolly (AL042008), 20-25 July 2008, National Hurricane Center, January 22, 2009
- Hurricane Dolly (Hidalgo County response, situation reports), Hidalgo County, Texas
- Hurricane Planning & Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) (Lower Rio Grande emergency management area, flood zones, evacuation routes), Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council
Week in Review, January 21
Jan 21
- Read about students who transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions. (Community College Research Center, January 2016)
- Consider the Texas AG opinion and related documents about playing daily fantasy sports for a fee. (Legal Sports Report, January 19, 2016)
- Track recent and past crime statistics. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed January 2016)
- Review documents related to the drinking water issues in Flint, MI. (Flint Water Study, accessed January 2016)



















