A recent article by the Sunlight Foundation evaluated all 50 states on the accessibility of their governor's executive orders. Texas earned an A, scoring high marks in categories such as machine readability, use of non-proprietary formats, availability of executive orders for current and prior administrations, and timeliness of availability (how quickly executive orders are posted after they are issued).
While the study focused on the executive orders available through Gov. Perry's site, it's worth noting that the library has an extensive collection of Texas executive orders, and has made them available online through our Governor Documents database. You'll find all executive orders from Gov. Rick Perry, as well as those in our collection from previous governors. Our oldest executive order dates to 1950 (Gov. Robert Allan Shivers), and concerns state disaster relief and civil defense.
While you're exploring the executive orders, it might interest you to take a look at some of the other documents available in the database, including disaster declarations, 2001-present, and emergency matters submitted in past legislative sessions.
In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
- Read about household debt in America. (Urban Institute, July 2014)
- Consider the history of financial aid in higher education. (Journal of Student Financial Aid, 2014)
- Review findings on the college preparedness of low income students. (ACT, July 17, 2014)
- See maps of death sentences and executions by state over time. (The Washington Post, July 24, 2014)
- Examine how school administrators are adapting campus anti-tobacco policies to include e-cigarettes. (Education Week, July 29, 2014)
- Look at where different generations are choosing to live throughout the country. (Governing, July 31, 2014)
Interim Hearings – Week of August 11th
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.
August 12th Top
House Select Committee on Economic Development Incentives
Topic: Texas Enterprise Fund, Emerging Technology Fund, and incentives which help to stimulate innovation and creativity
- Texas Emerging Technology Fund: Interim Update: 8/31/2013 to 4/30/2014, Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism, April 2014
- Texas Emerging Technology Fund: FY 2013 Legislative Report, Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism, August 2013
- Interim Report to the 83rd Legislature, Select Committee on Economic Development, February 3, 2013
- Texas Enterprise Fund: 2013 Legislative Report, Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism, 2013
- Economic Development and Tourism - Incentive Programs, Office of the Governor
Senate Committee on Finance
Topics: Budget process, General revenue outlook, Texas economy, Constitutional spending limits, Economic Stabilization Fund, Methods of finance, Border related issues impacting state budget
- Writing the State Budget: 83rd Legislature, House Research Organization, February 8, 2013
- Budget 101: A Guide to the Budget Process in Texas, Senate Research Center, January 2013
- Texas Budget Resources, Legislative Budget Board
- General Appropriations Acts (40th 1st C.S. - 83rd R.S., scanned versions of general appropriations acts and major biennial appropriations bills from 1927-2013), Legislative Reference Library
- Budget, Financial and Economic Reports and Forecasts, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
August 13th Top
Topic: Commission decisions
- Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS)
- Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
- Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
- Texas Health Care Information Council (THCIC)
- Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
- University Interscholastic League (UIL)
House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs
Topic: Effectiveness and responsibilities of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission (TMPC), Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Task Force (SB 1200, 83rd R.S.)
- "S.A., Texas Could Gain in Wake of Troop Cuts, BRAC," San Antonio Express-News, March 3, 2014
- Texas Military Preparedness Commission and Biennial Report 2013-2014, Office of the Governor
- Texas Military Preparedness Commission, Sunset Review Documents for 2008-2009 Review Cycle, 81st Legislative Session, Sunset Advisory Commission, June 2007-July 2009
August 14th Top
Senate Committee on Government Organization
Charge: State agency training, policies, and procedures for monitoring and reporting performance of state contracts
- Contract Management Guide, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- 82nd Texas Legislature: Interim Report, Charge #3, Senate Committee on Government Organization, December 2012
- Interim Report to the 82nd Texas Legislature, Charge #2, House Select Committee on Government Efficiency and Accountability, January 2011
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Charge 7: Implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, including Medicaid long-term care; reducing fraud, waste, and abuse in Texas Medicaid and other programs; Dental Board reforms; and Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
- Letter to Members of the 83rd Legislature on audit implementation, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), July 3, 2014
- CPRIT's Implementation Plan — State Auditor's Recommendations, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), June 30, 2014
- Adopted Texas Health and Human Services Commission Rules (New rules in 1 TAC 371, Subchapter F and amendments in Subchapter G), Texas Register, April 11, 2014
- High Level Summary of DADS Budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15 (83rd Legislature, — Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1025), Department of Aging and Disability Services
- "Dental Board's Review Process Gets Makeover," Texas Tribune, August 7, 2013
Charge 4: Cost-effective alternatives to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to better connect low income individuals to health care services through private market-based solutions, including Medicaid block grants and waivers
- The Uninsured Population in Texas: Understanding Coverage Needs and the Potential Impact of the Affordable Care Act, Kaiser Family Foundation, July 2014
- "Tough Road for States Seeking Customized Medicaid Expansion," Stateline, February 24, 2014
- How Will the Uninsured in Texas Fare Under the Affordable Care Act? Kaiser Family Foundation, January 2014
- Waiver Amendment approved 9/6/2013, Special Terms and Conditions for the Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program (section 1115(a) Medicaid demonstration), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services / Texas Health and Human Services Commission
August 15th Top
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Charge 2: Implementation of programs created or expanded by the 83rd Legislature to improve mental health and substance abuse services
- Sunset Advisory Commission: Staff Report (Issue 2), Department of State Health Services, May 2014
- State Legislation Report, 2013: Trends, Themes & and Best Practices in State Mental Health Legislation, National Alliance on Mental Illness, October 28, 2013
- A Guide to Understanding Mental Health Systems and Services in Texas, HOGG Foundation for Mental Health, November 2012
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Texas Department of State Health Services
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Public Reporting System (SB 126, 83R), Texas Department of State Health Services
Charge 6: Current state of prescription drug abuse and strategies for reducing prescription drug abuse in Texas
- Commissioner Testifies: Closed Pharmacy Formulary Successfully Reduces Opioid Drug Prescriptions for Injured Employees, Texas Department of Insurance, April 7, 2014
- Prevention of Prescription Drug Overdose and Abuse, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated July 28, 2014
- Prescription Drug Abuse: Strategies to Stop the Epidemic, Trust for America’s Health, October 2013
- DPS Launches Online Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to Curb Abuse, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, August 21, 2012 and Texas Prescription Program, Texas Department of Public Safety
- NABP PMP InterConnect: Fact Sheet: (Prescription Monitoring Programs), National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
Charge 5: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program structure
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Potential Options to Improve Performance and Oversight, U.S. Government Accountability Office, May 15, 2013
- Texas State Plan for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, The State of Texas, October 2010
- Texas Works Handbook (policies and procedures used to determine eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Texas Health and Human Services
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Office of Family Assistance, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Welfare Reform/TANF, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Urban Institute
Week in Review, July 31st
Jul 31
In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
- Review statistics on Texas roadways and transportation networks. (TRIP, July 2014)
- Map where unaccompanied immigrant children have been housed. (Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2014)
- Read about pre-baccalaureate health care occupations. (Brookings, July 25, 2014)
- Explore historical statistics about commercial airline crashes. (CNN, July 28, 2014)
- Consider how wastewater may help states struggling with drought. (Stateline, July 23, 2014)
- Examine the financial outlook for Medicare. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, July 28, 2014)
New to Our Website
Jul 30
This monthly post highlights new content recently added to the library's website.
Interim Charges
The library's interim charges page is updated with all House and Senate interim charges that have been issued for the 83rd Legislature.
Session Laws of the 83rd Legislature:
- Session laws and chapter numbers for legislation from the 83rd Legislature are now available within the Legislative Archive System (LAS).
Committee Minutes:
Scanned versions of committee minutes can be accessed on our website. Recent additions include:
-
Minutes from the 66th Legislature (House, Senate, Joint), including:
- Minutes from the 66th Leg. House Committee on Regions, Compacts & Districts, including redistricting transcripts, 1979-1980.
- Minutes from the 66th Leg. Joint Special Committee on Higher Education Financing, including transcripts and testimony of state universities.
- Minutes from the 66th Leg. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, including 5 volumes of transcripts and testimony on public utility regulation, rights of the elderly and disabled, fire prevention, gas shortages, Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), and crime victims compensation.
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New additions to the 67th Legislature House committee minutes include:
- Minutes from the 67th Leg. House Committee on Regions, Compacts & Districts, including redistricting transcripts, 1981.
- Minutes from the 67th Leg. House Special Committee on Election Contest (minutes, transcripts, documents for House District 57C election contest in Bexar County, Al Brown and Alan Schoolcraft).
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.
July 29th Top
House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
Charge 2: Effectiveness of deferred adjudication and orders for non-disclosure; extending use of expunction of criminal records history
- Texas Progressive Interventions and Sanctions Bench Manual, Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Community Justice Assistance Division, January 2014
- Criminal Records in the Digital Age: A Review of Current Practices and Recommendations for Reform in Texas, William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law, The University of Texas School of Law, March 2013
- Interim Report to the 82nd Texas Legislature, Deferred Adjudication, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, December 2010
Charge 4: Association between co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders and parole revocation among TDCJ inmates; dual mental health diagnosis
- An Overview of Offenders with Behavioral Disorders: Parole Board Member Training (Power Point), The Council of State Governments Justice Center, February 13, 2014
- Guidelines for the Successful Transition of People with Behavioral Health Disorders from Jail and Prison, Council of State Governments Justice Center, November 2013
- "A New Approach to Reduce Recidivism Among Incarcerated Adults with Behavioral Health Disorders," Book of the States 2013, Council of State Governments, 2013
- "Co-occurring Psychiatric and Substance Dependence Disorders as Predictors of Parolee Time to Rearrest," Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2011
- Evidence-based and Promising Practices for Individuals with Co-Occurring Disorders in Criminal Justice Settings, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA)
- Integrated Care for Individuals with Co-Occurring Disorders in Criminal Justice Settings, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA)
Charge 5: Current pecuniary loss thresholds associated with graffiti offenses; existing Graffiti Abatement Programs
- "Graffiti Sentencing Reform Faces Uphill Fight," Texas Tribune, April 2, 2013
- Graffiti Abatement Programs in Texas, Texas Attorney General
- Texas Penal Code 28.08, Graffiti
Charge 7: Utilization of community supervision in state jail felonies and effectiveness of state jail in light of its original purpose
- Who is in State Jail?, Who Entered State Jail?, Who Exited State Jail? (Fiscal Year 2012), Legislative Budget Board, February 2013
- "Talking Points: Safe Alternatives to State Jail Will Increase Cost Savings, Public Safety, and Personal Responsibility," including history of state jail system in Texas, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, December 2012
- Interim Report to the 81st Texas Legislature, Charge 3 - State Jail, House Committee on Corrections, January 2009
House Select Committee on Fiscal Impact of Texas Border Support Operations
Topic: Invited testimony from agencies and organizations participating in Border Support Operations
-
Gov. Perry deploys Texas National Guard troops to border, July 21, 2014
August 4th Top
Joint Committee on Coastal Barrier System
Topic: Feasibility and desirability of creating and maintaining a coastal barrier system
- "Action Urged on Building Storm Surge Barrier System," Bay Area Houston Magazine, July 1, 2014
- "Coastal barrier system: ‘It’s a no-brainer’," The Citizen, June 10, 2014
- "Speakers Present Hurricane Surge Proposals to Deer Park CAC," Deer Park Broadcaster, June 12, 2014
- SSPEED Center Phase III: Developing a Houston-Galveston Area Protection System (H-GAPS) (Deer Park CAC Presentation), The SSPEED Center, June 2, 2014 and The Ike Dike: A Coastal Barrier System Protecting the Houston/Galveston Region from Hurricane Storm Surge (Deer Park CAC Presentation), Texas A&M University, Galveston Campus, June 2, 2014
- "Will we have surge protection when the next big storm hits?," Bay Area Houston Magazine, May 28th, 2014
- Rice Wins $3.1M to Develop Storm Strategy for Houston-Galveston, Rice University, March 11, 2014
- "Study To Review Texas Hurricane Protection Ideas," Insurance Journal, March 11, 2014
- SSPEED Center 2014 Report, Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center, 2014
- Ike Dike, Texas A&M University, Galveston Campus
- Bay Area Coastal Protection Alliance
August 5th Top
House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety
Topic: Storage of ammonium nitrate and authority of first responders to inspect and respond to safety concerns
- Committee Meeting Handouts, Draft legislation on ammonium nitrate and Tier II Program, House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety, July 1, 2014
- Ammonium Nitrate in Texas (ammonium nitrate in Texas database, best practices for ammonium nitrate storage facilities),Texas Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshal’s Office
- Tier II Chemical Reporting Program, Texas Department of State Health Services
- Interactive: Texas Ammonium Nitrate Facilities, Texas Tribune, May 10, 2013
Topic: Driver Responsibility Program
- "Driver Program Relies on Lender Fined by Feds," Texas Tribune, July 17, 2014
- "Despite Changes, Driver Surcharge Program Faces Opposition," Texas Tribune, April 14, 2014
- Driver Responsibility Program, Texas Department of Public Safety
Topic: Update regarding ongoing border operations
- "Gov. Perry Deploys Texas National Guard Troops to Border," Governor Rick Perry, July 21, 2014
- "Gov. Perry, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and Speaker Straus Direct DPS to Immediately Begin Law Enforcement Surge Operations along Texas-Mexico Border," Joint Letter to Colonel Steven C. McCraw, Director, Texas Department of Public Safety, Governor Rick Perry, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and Speaker Joe Straus, June 18, 2014
House Select Committee on Transportation Funding, Expenditures & Finance
Topic: Potential revenue from new and existing sources
- "The Gas Tax is Running on Empty," Bloomberg Businessweek, July 17, 2014
- "Transportation Funding Still Driving Blind," Houston Chronicle, July 16, 2014
- Transportation Funding and Finance Legislation Database, National Conference of State Legislatures, last updated July 15, 2014
- Overview of Selected Transportation Taxes and Fees, State Highway Fund Appropriations, and Federal Highway Funds (presentation), Legislative Budget Board, June 24, 2014
- Public–Private Investment Models for Roadway Infrastructure, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, June 2014
- "Texas Road Funding Woes Nab the Spotlight," Texas Tribune, May 20, 2014
- Gas Tax Facts, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, May 8, 2014
- Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Fees, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, March 2014
Topic: Report and testimony from the Comptroller of Public Accounts regarding the financial condition of the state
August 7th Top
Joint Interim Hearing Defense & Veterans' Affairs and Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Topic: Study the implementation of all legislation from the 83rd Regular Session that seeks to develop a model to require state agencies regulating occupational licenses which require an apprenticeship to credit veterans' relevant military experience toward the apprenticeship requirements.
- "Abbott proposes waiving several state licensing requirements for veterans," Killeen Daily Herald, July 22, 2014
- "TDLR Helping Military Service Members, Veterans, and Spouses Get Licensed to Work in Texas" (Press release), Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, March 25, 2014
- 16 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 60, Subchapter K, Licensing Provisions Related to Military Service Members, Veterans, and Spouses, Procedural Rules of the Commission and the Department, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, effective January 1, 2014
- Information for Military Service Members, Veterans and Spouses, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Topic: Alternative certification programs that give returning military service men and women credit for skills learned and time served while on active duty.
- Witness Testimony of Mr. Andres Alcantar, Chairman, Texas Workforce Commission, Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives, November 6, 2013
- The Fast Track to Civilian Employment: Streamlining Credentialing and Licensing for Service Members, Veterans, and their Spouses, Executive Office of the President, February 2013
- College Credit for Heroes: Report to the 83rd Legislature and Governor Rick Perry, Texas Workforce Commission, November 11, 2012
- Texas Troops to Teachers and Alternative Certification Programs (ACP)
- Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (Dantes)
- College Credit for Military Service, American Council on Education
- Navy Cool (Credentialing Opportunities On-line), United States Navy and Army Cool (Credentialing Opportunities On-line), United States Army
Week in Review, July 24th
Jul 24
In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
- Read a report about jury participation in Texas. (Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, June 2014)
- Listen to a discussion about the recent surge in numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children from Central America and Mexico. (Migration Policy Institute, June 25, 2014)
- Review recent data on court appearances of unaccompanied immigrant children. (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University, July 15, 2014)
- Consider two court rulings that will impact subsidies for buying health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. (Kaiser Health News, July 22, 2014)
Week in Review, July 17th
Jul 17
In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
- See how much each state taxes a gallon of gasoline. (The Washington Post, July 9, 2014)
- Track air pollution in the United States over the past decade. (NASA, June 26, 2014)
- Explore how drought is affecting California and other western states. (National Geographic, July 15, 2014)
- Consider how drought can affect public health over time. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 14, 2014)
- Examine the safety of vaccines used to immunize children in the United States. (Pediatrics, July 1, 2014)
- Find out where Texas ranks among the states for food and drink. (Thrillist, July 6, 2014)
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.
July 16th Top
House Committee on House Administration
Topics: Personnel matters, committee budgets, and administrative oversight of technology changes for the House of Representatives
House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations
July 22nd Top
Senate Committee on Higher Education
Charge: Improvements in teacher preparation and certification programs
- "NCTQ’s New Report on Teacher Preparation: What Does it Mean for Texas?," Teach the Vote, June 18, 2014 and Teacher Prep Review 2014 Report, National Council on Teacher Quality, June 2014
- "Education Dept. to Move Forward With Plans for Improving Teacher Preparation," Chronicle of Higher Education, April 25, 2014
- Preparing and Licensing Effective Teachers, National Conference of State Legislatures, November 1, 2013
Charges: Impact of technology on education instruction
- "5 Things Researchers Have Discovered About MOOCs" (blog), The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 27, 2014
- MOOCS: Expectations and Reality, Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education, May 2014
- "The 6 Most Important Technologies To Impact Teaching and Learning in the Next 5 Years," Campus Technology, February 3, 2014
- NMC Horizon Report > 2014 Higher Education Edition, New Media Consortium, January 28, 2014
- "What 5 Tech Experts Expect in 2014," The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 6, 2014
- Grade Change: Tracking Online Education in the United States, BABSON Survey Research Group, January 2014
July 23rd Top
House Select Committee on Economic Development Incentives
Topic: Overall examination of the use of incentives as an economic development tool
- "Prove it!" State Legislatures, National Conference of State Legislatures, January 2014
- Texas Emerging Technology Fund: FY 2013 Legislative Report, Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism, August 2013
- Interim Report to the 83rd Legislature, Select Committee on Economic Development, February 3, 2013
- Texas Enterprise Fund: 2013 Legislative Report, Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism, 2013
- Evidence Counts: Evaluating State Tax Incentives for Jobs and Growth, Pew Center on the States, April 2012
- Tax-Related State and Local Economic Development Programs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, March 2012
- Economic Development in Texas: Programs and Incentives, TTARA Research Foundation, September 2011
- Economic Development and Tourism - Incentive Programs, Office of the Governor
House Select Committee on Child Protection
- Committee Meeting Handouts (Hearing packets), House Select Committee on Child Protection, July 1, 2014
Topic: Child welfare system: regulatory policy and contract oversight
- Contract Oversight and Support (COS), Texas Department of Family & Protective Services
- DFPS Contracting Policies, Texas Department of Family & Protective Services
- Contracting with DFPS to Provide Residential Child Care, Texas Department of Family & Protective Services, June 20, 2014
Topic: Foster and kinship families
- Sunset Advisory Commission Staff Report with Hearing Materials (Issues 2, 3, 4, 5), Texas Department of Family & Protective Services, June 2014
- Recommendation to propose rule changes in 40 TAC ch. 749, Minimum standards for child placing agencies, relating to foster home screenings and verifications and the supervision of foster homes, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Council, April 4, 2014
- Foster Care, Texas Department of Family & Protective Services
- Kinship Care, Texas Department of Family & Protective Services
- Foster Care Redesign (Improving Child and Youth Placement Outcomes: A System Redesign), Texas Department of Family & Protective Services
- Interim Report to the 83rd Texas Legislature (Charge 1 – Foster Care Redesign), House Committee on Human Services, January 2013
- Interim Report to the 83rd Legislature (Charge 9C – Foster Care Redesign), Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, December 2012
Topic: Child welfare system: reporting maltreatment
- "Fostering Neglect," Texas Observer, May 29, 2014
- Safeguarding Children in Texas Foster Care, (See Oversight and Monitoring Foster Homes), Texans Care for Children, April 2014
Joint Committee on Human Trafficking
Topics: Ways to further combat human trafficking along the Texas border and region, Services available to victims
- Introduction to Human Trafficking: A Guide for Texas Education Professionals, Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force, Office of the Attorney General, July 2014
- "Texas Officials Consider Next Steps in Fight Against Child Trafficking," Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, June 29, 2014
- Assessing the Threat of Human Trafficking in Texas, Texas Department of Public Safety, April 2014
Week in Review, July 10th
Jul 10
In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
- Read about unaccompanied immigrant children and the recent surge in their numbers at the border with Mexico. (Congressional Research Service, June 23, 2014)
- See why blood pressure monitoring kiosks aren't always accurate. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, June 24, 2014)
- Track the status of the legality of gay marriage in the states. (The Washington Post, June 25, 2014)
- Examine programs that prepare teachers for the classroom. (National Council on Teacher Quality, 2014)