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Week in Review, February 18

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Examine children's health insurance coverage state by state. (State Health Access Data Assistance Center, February 2016)
  • Review early voting patterns in Texas. (The Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, February 15, 2016)
  • Explore health care and health insurance coverage in the South. (Kaiser Family Foundation, February 10, 2016)
  • Read about low-wage workers on public assistance. (Economic Policy Institute, February 9, 2016)
  • Consider poverty in Texas by House District. (Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy / Texas Impact, updated January 29, 2016)
 
 
 

Interim Hearings - Week of February 22, 2016

Interim Hearings - Week of February 22

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.

 

February 23

House Committee on Urban Affairs 

Charge 2: Cities' cybersecurity policy

 

New & Noteworthy List for February 2016

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the six titles from our February 2016 New & Noteworthy list.

 

Check out and delivery of New & Noteworthy titles is available to legislative staff in Capitol and District offices. To arrange check out of any of these items, please contact the library at 512-463-1252.

 

 


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

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • 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)
 
 

Interim Hearings - Week of February 15, 2016

Interim Hearings - Week of February 15

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.
 

February 17

Senate Committee on State Affairs

Charge: First Amendment religious liberty protections

 

February 18

House Select Committee on Mental Health

Invited testimony

 

Senate Committee on Health & Human Services   

Charge: Healthy aging

 

Charge: Long-term care

 

Charge: "Wrongful birth" cause of action

 

Senate Committee on State Affairs

Charge: Judicial salaries, legislators' retirement annuities, straight-ticket voting

 

 

 

Week in Review, February 4

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • 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)
 

Interim Hearings - Week of February 8, 2016

Interim Hearings - Week of February 8

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.

February 9 Top

House Committee on Corrections

Charge: Incarceration rates for non-violent drug offenses, alternatives to incarceration including community supervision

Charge: Inmate release policies of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, including direct release from administrative segregation

House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Private Property Rights in Water

Topic: How to supply water while respecting private property rights of individual owners

House Committee on Public Education  

Charge: Middle grades

Charge: High performing students

February 10 Top

House Committee on Corrections

Charge: Recidivism & Reentry

House Committee on Public Health

Charge: Preparedness for public health threats and emergencies, including natural disasters and infectious diseases

Charge: Telemedicine in Texas

Senate Committee on Education

Charge: Monitor implementation of legislation, specifically:

Topic: Local briefing on English Language Learning

February 11 Top

Topic: Select committee budgets

 

House Committee on Higher Education

Charge: Community college system

Charge: Community colleges offering affordable baccalaureate degree programs, student pathways

Senate Select Committee Property Tax Reform & Relief  

Charge: Property tax process, including appraisal system

Charge: Reducing tax burden

 

 

Week in Review, January 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)
 

Members Not Returning, 85th Legislature

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.

Information about candidates by county is available on the Texas Secretary of State's website, filings by county page.

 

 

Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock Retiring
Rep. Myra Crownover Retiring
Sen. Kevin Eltife Retiring
Rep. Joe Farias Resigned effective 8/10/15
Rep. Allen Fletcher Retiring
Sen. Troy Fraser Retiring
Rep. Patricia Harless Retiring
Rep. Bryan Hughes Seeking another office
Rep. Jim Keffer Retiring
Rep. Susan King Seeking another office
Rep. Marisa Márquez Retiring
Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer Seeking another office
Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon Resigned effective 1/31/16
Rep. Elliott Naishtat Retiring
Rep. John Otto Retiring
Rep. David Simpson Seeking another office
Rep. Scott Turner Retiring
Rep. Sylvester Turner Resigned effective 1/1/16; sworn in as Mayor of Houston on 1/2/16 

 

Interim Hearings - Week of February 1, 2016

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.

 

Week of February 1

February 2

House Committee on Natural Resources

Charge: Water markets in Texas

 

Charge: Regional and state water planning processes, with emphasis on integration of HB 4, 83rd Legislature, R.S., regional planning groups, groundwater management, drought of record, and related issues

 

Charge: Legislative oversight and monitoring of agencies, including review of the surface water permitting process in Texas

 

February 3

House Committee on Energy Resources

Charge 1: Impacts of declining oil prices, energy development strategies

 

Charge 2: Oilfield theft

 

Charge 7: Legislative oversight and monitoring of agencies

Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations 

Charge 3: Natural disaster preparedness planning, as it pertains to Hurricane Dolly disaster recovery efforts

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