1. Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality, 1920-2020
By Elisabeth Griffith
Chronicles the efforts of Black and white women for voting rights and equality after the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Contrasts the sometimes competing goals of each group, in which the Black women's movement focused on protecting their communities from racial violence and discrimination while white women sought equal legal rights with white men. Describes the seemingly parallel struggles for political power as interwoven and complex, acknowledging the diversity of the fight for "liberty and justice for all."
Pegasus Books, 2022, 507 pages
305.420973 G853F 2022

 

2. Foster Care in America: A Reference Handbook
By Christina G. Villegas
Explores the American foster care system, including the history of state and federal approaches to child welfare. Presents recurring problems and controversies that affect U.S. foster care systems, and highlights proposals aimed at improving outcomes for children and families. Includes a glossary of terms used in discussions of foster care, key national and local child welfare organizations' profiles, and an annotated reference guide.
ABC-CLIO, 2022, 292 pages
362.73 V732F 2022

 

3. More City Than Water: A Houston Flood Atlas
By Lacy M. Johnson and Cheryl Beckett, editors
Examines the impact of Hurricane Harvey on the people and communities of Houston, Texas, through the use of maps, personal essays, interviews, and photographs collected for the Houston Flood Museum project. Urges reflection on the "link between human activities and catastrophic flooding" and presents possible outcomes for Houston and the Gulf Coast in the face of expected future natural disasters.
University of Texas Press, 2022, 292 pages
303.485 J68M 2022

 

4. Texas Legislative Council Drafting Manual (88th Legislature)
By Texas Legislative Council
Explains the legislative drafting process with updated examples for the upcoming 88th Legislature. Notes the manual is intended to be used primarily by the drafting staff but suggests legislators and legislative staff may find it a useful resource for understanding how legislation is drafted and analyzing legislative documents. Includes city and county population summaries from the 2020 census, text of the Code Construction Act, and a memorandum on local and bracket bills.
Texas Legislative Council, 2022, 318 pages
L1400.5 D783 2022

 

5. We've Got to Try: How the Fight for Voting Rights Makes Everything Else Possible
By Beto O'Rourke
Presents Beto O'Rourke's interactions with individuals across Texas, discussing what he learned while campaigning for office and while registering voters. Explains how voting rights are essential for democracy while weaving the stories of Texans who affected election administration in Texas. Highlights Dr. Lawrence Aaron Nixon's 20-year effort to overturn SB 44, 38th Legislature, 2nd C.S. from 1923, which prohibited African-Americans from voting in Democratic primaries.
Flatiron Books, 2022, 211 pages
324.6 OR74W 2022

 

6. ScholAthlete's Survival Guide: Essential Study Skills for the Scholar Athlete
By Tamsen Valoir and Jolanda Jones
Provides guidance to student athletes on how to balance athletics and academics at the college level. Shares study skill techniques and tips, interspersed with co-author Representative Jolanda "Jo" Jones' own academic experiences as a ScholAthlete.
Booklocker.com, 2008, 126 pages
378.17 V198S 2008

 

1. House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting, Texas House of Representatives Interim Report, 2022: A Report to the House of Representatives, 88th Texas Legislature
By House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting
Reports on the inquiry conducted by the Investigative Committee, established by the Texas House of Representative's Speaker Dade Phelan, on the events relating to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Examines contributing factors to the shooting and details the responses of the various law enforcement agencies, individual officers, and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. Outlines preliminary conclusions drawn by the committee. The following link is to the English version of the report.
House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting, 2022, 77 pages
L1836.87 R631

 

2. Comité de Investigación de la Cámara de Representantes de Texas sobre el Tiroteo en la Escuela Robb Elementary Informe Provisional 2022: Un Informe para la Cámara de Representantes, de Texas 88. ª Asamblea Legislativa de Texas
By Comité de Investigación sobre el Tiroteo en la escuela Robb Elementary
Reports on the inquiry conducted by the Investigative Committee, established by the Texas House of Representative's Speaker Dade Phelan, on the events relating to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Examines contributing factors to the shooting and details the responses of the various law enforcement agencies, individual officers, and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. Outlines preliminary conclusions drawn by the committee. The following link is to the Spanish version of the report.
Comité de Investigación sobre el Tiroteo en la escuela Robb Elementary, 2022, 75 pages
L1836.87 R631 ES

 

3. Last Gangster in Austin: Frank Smith, Ronnie Earle, and the End of a Junkyard Mafia
By Jesse Sublett
Examines the true events surrounding one of the biggest criminal trials in Travis County history involving Frank Smith, a bail bondsman and auto salvage yard operator, who tried to put a competitor out of business through arson and an attempted robbery. Discusses the role of newly-elected District Attorney Ronnie Earle who had prior experience with Smith by proxy while working on bail bond reform in the Texas legislature. Highlights the 1970's Austin underworld as the background for the narrative.
University of Texas Press, 2022, 212 pages
976.431063 SU941L 2022

 

4. The One Ann Only: Wit and Wisdom from Texas Governor Ann Richards
By Ann Richards Legacy Project
Presents a collection of photographs and quotations showcasing the remarkable life and political career of Ann Richards, Texas' 45th governor. Includes an index of photo credits with brief descriptions of the images.
Ann Richards Legacy Project, 2022, 144 pages
923.2764 B618R 2022

 

5. Unsettled Land: From Revolution to Republic, the Struggle for Texas
By Sam W. Haynes
Explores the history of Texas, from the 1830s to the 1850s, through the personal stories and lives of ordinary people. Discusses how the region once had a diverse population, including people of African descent, white Americans, Mexicans, and Native Americans, that was transformed into one of mainly white settlers during that period.
Basic Books, 2022, 446 pages
976.4 H424UN 2022

 

6. The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic
By Jillian Peterson, PhD & James Densley, PhD
Discusses the authors' research on mass shootings, complied in a comprehensive database, which includes the life histories of perpetrators, details from interviews with incarcerated living mass shooters, and the people who knew them. Examines this data to understand the social and mental health factors affecting the perpetrators and communities where mass public shootings take place. Presents strategies to reduce mass gun violence.
Abrams Press, 2021, 240 pages
Online at: https://www.theviolenceproject.org/
364.152 P485V 2021

 

7. Owning My S.H.I.T!: Suffering Hardship Internalizing Trauma
By Jolanda "Jo" Jones
Recounts the challenging experiences of Representative Jolanda "Jo" Jones and how she was able to overcome what she details as Suffering of Hardships while Internalizing Trauma (S.H.I.T!). Describes her journey to become a successful attorney, politician, author, and activist. Shares her transformation so that others may have a roadmap to identify, accept, and work through adversities to achieve positive change in their own lives.
Shekinah Publishing Services, 2018, 191 pages
328.764 J76OW 2018

 

1. Gender and Elections: Shaping the Future of American Politics
By Susan J. Carroll, Richard L. Fox, and Kelly Dittmar, editors
Examines the role that gender and race played in the recent 2018 and 2020 elections. Reflects on how elections in the U.S. are acutely gendered, from perceptions of candidates to the disparity between the number of men versus women vying for political office.
Cambridge University Press, 2022, 337 pages
320.082 G285 2022

 

2. One Person, One Vote: A Surprising History of Gerrymandering in America
By Nick Seabrook
Provides historical examples of gerrymandering to illustrate how the practice has affected modern politics, including efforts by Patrick Henry, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, and former Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry, the namesake of the term. Highlights the Redistricting Majority Project (REDMAP), a Republican Party program dedicated to taking control of state legislatures after the 2010 census. Discusses the role of the judiciary in resolving disputes over redistricting. Recommends strategies states can use to reform the redistricting process.
Pantheon Books, 2022, 362 pages
328.3 SE438ON 2022

 

3. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission: Sunset Staff Report
By Sunset Advisory Commission
Reports on the functions and governance structure of the Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact. Identifies public distrust and confusion over TCEQ's decision making process. Recommends changes in monitoring, enforcement, and review processes, including reform of the Commission's practices for gathering public input and promoting transparency.
Sunset Advisory Commission, 2022, 94 pages
S1500.8 EN89 2022

 

4. Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Office of the Independent Ombudsman: Sunset Staff Report
By Sunset Advisory Commission
Reviews the functions and governance structure of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). Focuses on TJJD's critical staffing issues, noting the employee turnover rates are the worst among large state agencies, and resolving this issue is necessary. Recommends changes to the board structure, while cautioning against a significant leadership shift, and requests a shortened six-year period until Sunset's next review of this agency.
Sunset Advisory Commission, 2022, 102 pages
S1500.8 J800 2022

 

5. Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America
By Mark Follman
Explores the field of behavioral threat assessment as a strategy for preventing mass shootings in the United States. Examines the method's origins, through it's use in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Secret Service investigations, to its expansion after attacks in schools. Shows how trained teams, with their focus on recognizing concerning behaviors, can be scaled-up to aid the entire nation. Discusses school shootings and provides accounts from perpetrators, survivors, and behavior and legal experts.
Dey Street Books, 2022, 286 pages
364.152 F668T 2022

 

6. Sexual Harassment and Misconduct: An Encyclopedia
By Gina Robertiello, editor
Presents a comprehensive overview about the scope, nature, and prevalence of sexual harassment and misconduct in the United States. Includes relevant laws, codes of conduct, and court decisions. Explains past and current events, claims, various reforms and responses, as well as scandals pertaining to issues of sexism and sexual harassment.
ABC-CLIO, 2021, 395 pages
305.420973 R642S 2021

 

1. The Mexican American Experience in Texas: Citizenship, Segregation, and the Struggle for Equality
By Martha Menchaca
Chronicles the long presence of Mexican Americans in Texas and their efforts to obtain social and economic equality, from the Spanish and Mexican periods to present day. Addresses property rights, citizenship, segregation, civil rights, and more, along with the Texas Legislature's role in these matters. Highlights the achievements of Mexican Americans, including their crucial part in challenging and disassembling exclusion laws in Texas.
University of Texas Press, 2022, 432 pages
976.4 M455M 2022

 

2. Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments
By Erin L. Thompson
Describes recent developments in the national debate on public monuments in the United States, including Confederate monuments. Discusses the aesthetic, legal, political, and social issues involved, and the complex motivations of participants in current controversies over public monuments.
W. W. Norton & Company, 2022, 264 pages
725.940973 T468S 2022

 

3. Texas Ethics Laws: An Annotated Guide to Lobby and Campaign Finance Laws in Texas
By Andrew Cates
Provides a guide to frequently cited laws and regulations relating to campaign financing, conflicts of interest, lobbying, and governmental ethics. Includes historical background through practice notes, case law, Attorney General and Ethics Commission opinions, as well as cross-references to the Texas Administrative Code.
Independently published, 2022, 502 pages
328.33 C283T 2022

 

4. How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
By Clint Smith
Reflects on how the history of slavery is memorialized in the United States by visiting and collecting the stories about monuments and landmarks connected to those events. Explores the narratives and legacy of slavery through research, interviews, and the author's personal experience as a Black man. Includes a chapter on celebrations of Juneteenth in Galveston, the passage of HB 1016, 66th Legislature, R.S., making Juneteenth an official Texas state holiday, and a profile of former Representative Al Edwards Sr.
Little, Brown and Company, 2021, 336 pages
973.0496073 SM642H 2021

 

5. Identified with Texas: The Lives of Governor Elisha Marshall Pease and Lucadia Niles Pease
By Elizabeth Whitlow
Presents a dual biography of former Texas Governor Elisha Marshall Pease and his wife Lucadia Niles Pease. Explores their professional and personal lives from 1812-1905, including Pease's years in Texas’ first three Legislative sessions, his two terms as Governor, life in Austin during the Civil War, and his gubernatorial appointment during Reconstruction. Highlights Lucadia's independent travels and marriage to Pease, noting she considered herself a "women's rights woman" and supported her daughter's desire to attend college.
University of North Texas Press, 2022, 432 pages
976.4 W613ID 2021

 

6. Judging Inequality: State Supreme Courts and the Inequality Crisis
By James L. Gibson and Michael J. Nelson
Analyzes the levels of political, economic, and social inequality in the United States by documenting – in the State High Court Inequality Database – nearly 6,000 decisions made by 50 state supreme courts from 1990 to 2015. Focuses on the influential role of the state supreme courts in shaping inequalities on issues including educational equity and adequacy, LGBT rights, and workers' rights. Argues that state courts are playing an increasing role in U.S. politics and policy creation.
Russell Sage Foundation, 2021, 356 pages
342.73085 G448J 2021

 

1. Women's Suffrage in Texas: Struggle, the Story: Successes, Notable Firsts: Senators, Women of the Texas Senate
By Texas Senate
Reflects on the legislative efforts, struggle for suffrage, and achievements of women in Texas in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment. Provides brief biographies of significant women in Texas, including former and current Texas Senators. Notes that since the first woman was elected to a statewide office a century ago, Texas women have served at every level of state and local government.
Texas Senate, 2019, 63 pages
L1803.8 W842 2019

 

2. Women in Texas History
By Angela Boswell
Provides a chronological overview of women's history in Texas, from Native American Texas to the end of the twentieth century. Considers physical, geographic, legal, political, social, and cultural factors that challenged and shaped Texas women's roles in creating the state of Texas. Highlights women in politics, including former Governor Ann Richards and state legislators such as former Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison, former U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan, U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, former Representative Irma Rangel, Representative Senfronia Thompson, and other political female "firsts."
Texas A&M University Press, 2018, 345 pages
305.409764 B657W 2018

 

3. Texas Women First: Leading Ladies of Lone Star History
By Sherrie S. McLeRoy
Celebrates the contributions and achievements of a mix of unconventional, trailblazing women in the Lone Star state. Profiles famous and not so famous women who broke barriers in areas as diverse as aeronautics, government, arts and entertainment, business, education, medicine, law, military, and social justice. Highlights memorable "firsts" accomplished by Texas women including former Representative Frances 'Sissy' Farenthold, and former Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison.
The History Press, 2015, 188 pages
979 M154T 2015

 

4. Texas Women: Their Histories, Their Lives
By Elizabeth Hayes Turner, Stephanie Cole, and Rebecca Sharpless, editors
Compiles a collection of biographies and essays of Texas women showing the racial, class, and religious diversity of the Lone Star State, from the Spanish colonial era to the twenty-first century. Explores the lives of Native American, European, African American, and Hispanic women and their impact on Texas. Focuses on a range of topics, including the influence of Spanish law, slavery, higher education, equal rights, civil rights, politics, business, ranching, and the arts. Provides essays on Oveta Culp Hobby and former U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan.
The University of Georgia Press, 2015, 526 pages
305.409764 T852T 2015

 

5. Texas Dames: Sassy and Savvy Women Throughout Lone Star History
By Carmen Goldthwaite
Highlights the stories of 53 Texas women and their accomplishments from early Tejas to the mid-twentieth century. Details how these courageous "Dames" broke both gender and racial barriers in education, ministry, business, entertainment, athletics, medicine, and politics to become the "firsts" in their fields. Includes former Representative Edith Eunice Wilmans.
The History Press, 2012, 157 pages
976.4 G58T 2012

 

6. Texas Through Women's Eyes: The Twentieth-Century Experience
By Judith N. McArthur and Harold L. Smith
Offers an overview of women's achievements in Texas throughout the twentieth century with a focus on rural, working-class, and minority women. Discusses women's roles in working for social and political reform, the right to vote, better opportunities in education and the workforce, and civil rights. Provides a selection of primary documents including letters, memoirs, and oral histories.
University of Texas Press, 2010, 295 pages
305.4209764 M127T 2010

 

7. Black Women in Texas History
By Bruce A. Glasrud and Merline Pitre, editors.
Explores how African American women have affected the culture and history of Texas while also showing how they have been shaped by the larger culture. Compiles essays written by era experts to provide a survey of African American women's experiences through time and themes, including slavery and freedom, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Era, and more. Argues that often-disenfranchised black women actively pursued ways to make their voices heard and build community. Highlights former U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan.
Texas A&M University Press, 2008, 248 pages
325.26 B64W 2008

 

8. Capitol Women: Texas Female Legislators, 1923-1999
By Nancy Baker Jones and Ruthe Winegarten
Examines the Texas Legislature through the experiences and history of the women who have served or are currently serving as legislators from January 1923 to January 1999. Includes 4 essays for cultural context and profiles on all 86 women who have served in that window of time through 58 chronologically arranged biographies, and 28 “snapshots.
University of Texas Press, 2000, 328 pages
328.764 J722C

 

1. The Gospel According to Wild Indigo
By Cyrus Cassells
Cyrus Cassells, the 2021 Texas Poet Laureate, is a writer and professor of English at Texas State University. He has received numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and two National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants, and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2019. The Gospel According to Wild Indigo explores the joys and sorrows of our world and the cruelty of history through poetry. It illustrates the dark experience of an enslaved people while celebrating their resilience. His poetry delves into themes of pilgrimage, love, loss, and family while providing a sense of peace with his simple elegant style. Cassells was honored by HR 1220 and SR 412, 87th Legislature, R.S.
Crab Orchard Review & Southern Illinois University Press, 2018, 103 pages
STATE POETS

 

2. Texas Almanac: 2022-2023
By TSHA Press
Provides current articles, data, maps, and photographs highlighting everything Texas. Features a variety of subjects, including the 87th Legislature, government, population, elections, education, business, transportation, and the environment. Includes new articles on African American Texans and the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas. Note: Some earlier editions of the Texas Almanac are available on the Portal to Texas History website.
TSHA Press, 2022, 705 pages
317.64 T31A 2022-23

 

3. Vetoes of Legislation: 87th Legislature
By House Research Organization, Texas House of Representatives
Addresses the 20 bills vetoed by Governor Greg Abbott and passed during the 87th Legislature, R.S. in 2021. Provides a digest of each vetoed measure, the governor's reason for the veto, and a response to the veto by the bill's author or the sponsor.
House Research Organization, Texas House of Representatives, 2022, 29 pages
L1801.9 ST94 87-5

 

4. Water for Texas: 2022 State Water Plan
By Texas Water Development Board
Compiles reports from the sixteen regional water planning groups into an in-depth profile covering the past and future water needs of Texas. Examines and makes policy recommendations on various topics including drought response, current water availability, future demand, financing needs, and water management projects. Reports on the implementation of the 2017 State Water Plan and legislative changes that came after that plan. Mentions SB 1511, HB 2215, 85th Legislature, R.S., HB 721, and HB 807, 86th Legislature, R.S.
Texas Water Development Board, 2022, 183 pages
W605.8 W291P 2022

 

5. Texas Employment Law Handbook: A Guide for Employers
By Scott McDonald, Editor
Summarizes the current laws and regulations affecting employment in Texas. Includes chapters by labor law specialists on employment at will, worker's compensation, unemployment compensation, employee benefit plans, and occupational safety. Provides citations for case law as well as Federal and State statutes and rules.
Texas Association of Business and Texas SHRM, 2021, 550 pages
331 T312 2019-2021

 

1. Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas
By Max Krochmal and J. Todd Moye, eds.
Draws from the oral history database, Civil Rights in Black and Brown Oral History Project, to further record a "people's history" of the grassroots civil rights movement in Texas. Emphasizes the intersection between Black and Hispanic activism in the 1960s and 70s. Offers essays on student protests at Prairie View A&M, the leadership of Héctor P. García in Corpus Christi, the collaborative activism in 1970s San Antonio, involving former Representative G.J. Sutton, and the military experience of former Representative Ben T. Reyes and other minorities.
University of Texas Press, 2021, 469 pages
323.09764 K912C 2021

 

2. Interim Studies Established by the 87th Texas Legislature: Regular, 2nd, and 3rd Called Sessions
By Texas Legislative Council
Identifies interim studies and reports required by laws passed by the 87th Legislature, including SB 1, the General Appropriations Act. Focuses on studies resulting in a one-time report to the legislature, legislative committees, or a legislative agency. Organizes them by subject area and, within each subject area, in bill order and includes indexes by bill number and the submitting entity - the agency or other entity required to submit a report on the study.
Texas Legislative Council, 2021, 114 pages
L1400.8 IN8E 2021

 

3. Property Tax Relief for Homeowners
By Adam H. Langley and Joan Youngman
Discusses strengths and weaknesses of the property tax as it is currently structured and utilized throughout the U.S. Evaluates the impact of various property tax relief approaches, including rate, levy, and assessment limits, circuit breakers, deferrals, and monthly payment plans. Provides case studies of the most and least effective tax relief programs from several states and addresses tax swaps and homestead exemption audits in Texas. Offers suggestions for a more equitable and effective tax system.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 2021, 64 pages
336.22 L266P 2021

 

4. Today's Health Care Issues: Democrats and Republicans
By Robert B. Hackey and Todd M. Olszewski
Examines current health care issues in debates regarding the role of government in our society. Discusses in essay format, eighteen of the most pressing concerns in contemporary health policy including health care reform, pharmaceuticals, and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of each issue, followed by a discussion of the Republican and Democratic ideologies, and what common ground might exist.
ABC-CLIO, 2021, 380 pages
362.10973 H121 2021

 

5. War on the Border: Villa, Pershing, the Texas Rangers, and an American Invasion
By Jeff Guinn
Offers an overview of violence in the region between the U.S. and Mexico in the early 20th century. Focuses on Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, New Mexico in 1917 and the subsequent "Punitive Expedition" of American troops into Northern Mexico. Discusses the Texas Rangers' role in border violence and the 1919 investigation of Ranger activity by the Texas House of Representatives, launched by former Representative José Tomás Canales.
Simon & Schuster, 2021, 350 pages
972.0816 G964W 2021

 

6. Repairing Jefferson's America: A Guide to Civility and Enlightened Citizenship
By Clay S. Jenkinson
Studies the politics and philosophies of America's third president, Thomas Jefferson. Outlines Jefferson's beliefs regarding topics like wealth, religious freedom, and nature. Provides analysis of Jefferson's writings and a guide for how people might employ Jeffersonian principles in both their private lives and in the public sphere. Offers examples of how to utilize the former president's ideas to discuss modern issues.
Koehlerbooks, 2020, 198 pages
323.6 J52R 2020