1. 51 Imperfect Solutions: States and the Making of American Constitutional Law
By Jeffrey S. Sutton
Highlights the important role of state courts and state constitutions in American constitutional law by examining stories of equal protection, criminal procedure, privacy, free speech, and free exercise of religion. Includes Texas in a discussion of equality and adequacy of school funding.
Oxford University Press, 2018. 278 pages.
342.73 SU87IM 2018


 

2. The Grand Duke from Boys Ranch
By Bill Sarpalius
Presents the compelling life story of Lithuanian American Bill Sarpalius, former U.S. Congressman and Texas Senator, who overcame extreme adversity in his youth before embarking on a path of public service. Recounts how his experience at Cal Farley's Boys Ranch changed the trajectory of his life and ultimately led him into state, national, and international politics. Details his many political causes including the launch of the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Addiction (in memory of his mother), and the fight for Lithuania's freedom from the Soviet Union, for which he was named a "Grand Duke."
Texas A & M University Press, 2018. 322 pages.
328.73 S71G 2018


 

3. Hate: Why We Should Resist it with Free Speech, not Censorship
By Nadine Strossen
Discusses the ongoing debate on what comprises "hate speech" versus free speech when people publicly express views denigrating a person or a group. Analyzes "hate speech" laws and argues that they are nebulous, unfair, and incompatible with the core principles of the First Amendment, and in the end do more harm than good. Makes the case that the more effective way to limit "hate speech" is through "counterspeech" and activism rather than censorship.
Oxford University Press, 2018. 199 pages.
342.7308 ST89H 2018


 

4. Immunization: How Vaccines Became Controversial
By Stuart Blume
Explores the development of vaccine technology, then examines how immunizations have been incorporated into public health policy and practice. Observes that vaccine hesitancy has existed as long as mass vaccination campaigns have been conducted. Predicts that resistance to vaccines can be resolved only by addressing people's mistrust in the governments and pharmaceutical companies that promote immunizations.
Reaktion Books, 2017. 271 pages.
614.47 B625IM 2017


 

5. Who Will Care for Us? Long-Term Care and the Long-Term Workforce
By Paul Osterman
Describes the long-term care workforce, detailing how direct care workers are treated and viewed and the nature of their profession's labor market. Argues that enhancing direct care workers' skills and expanding their scope of practice will improve care, attract the workforce required, and reduce system costs. Addresses the political, regulatory, financial, and occupational challenges of meeting the growing demand for long-term care and of reforming the long-term workforce.
Russell Sage Foundation, 2017. 213 pages.
362.160973 OS7W 2017


 

6. The Humor and Drama of Early Texas
By George U. Hubbard
Offers a series of historical vignettes telling stories of early Texans on the frontier. Relates humorous and dramatic tales about gunslingers, statesmen, the railroads, Texas independence, and much more.
Republic of Texas Press, 2003. 296 pages.
976.4 H861H 2003

 

1. The ABCs of School Choice
By EdChoice
Presents comprehensive, data-rich information on private school choice programs in the United States. Focuses on education savings accounts (ESAs), vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and individual tax credits and deductions. Outlines how each program works and who it serves. Provides feedback on how each program could be improved.
EdChoice, 2018. 162 pages.
Online at: https://www.edchoice.org/research/the-abcs-of-school-choice/
379.111 AB29 2018


 

2. America's Lone Star Constitution: How Supreme Court Cases from Texas Shape the Nation
By Lucas A. Power
Charts the development of Texas-inspired constitutional law, illustrating why Texas provides such breadth and depth to constitutional adjudication. Details Texas cases that cover major issues of national interest, areas as diverse as race, school finance, abortion, freedom of religion, and the relationship of the states and the federal government. Comments on how individual Supreme Court justices voted on the Texas cases, splitting justices into liberal, conservative, and centrist points of view.
University of California Press, 2018. 310 pages.
342.73 P871A 2018


 

3. Discrimination and Disparities
By Thomas Sowell
Challenges the notion that economic and social disparities can be the result of any one factor, such as discrimination, exploitation, or genetics. Argues that policy solutions are often counterproductive because they are based on oversimplified data and fallacies of reasoning.
Basic Books, 2018. 179 pages.
339.2 SO92D 2018


 

4. Speaker Jim Wright: Power, Scandal, and the Birth of Modern Politics
By J. Brooks Flippen
Examines the life and political career of Jim Wright, beginning in the Texas House of Representatives and culminating as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Draws on personal papers and interviews with Wright and others. Suggests his political downfall was brought about by poor personal choices, a dictatorial leadership style, and the "devolution of political civility" that is even more prevalent today.
University of Texas Press, 2018. 400.
328.73 F648S 2018


 

5. The Texas Liberators: Veteran Narratives from World War II
By Aliza S. Wong, ed.
Documents Texas veterans' experiences as liberators of concentration camp prisoners during World War II. Notes that this collection of stories was made possible by the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission, which was established by SB 482, 81st Legislature R.S., a bill authored by Senators Florence Shapiro and Rodney Ellis, to "teach the lessons of the Holocaust and other contemporary genocides."
Texas Tech University Press, 2018. 109 pages.
940.54 W846T 2018


 

6. Mexican American Baseball in South Texas
By Richard A. Santillan, et al.
Highlights the contributions of baseball teams and players from Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Donna, Alamo, San Juan, Brownsville, Harlingen, and other surrounding communities, from the late 19th century through the 1950s. Discusses the role of baseball in bridging the cultural divide in the Rio Grande Valley. Includes the story of former Representative Joe J. Bernal and his father.
Arcadia Publishing, 2016. 127 pages.
796.35709764 SM 2016

1. God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State
By Lawrence Wright
Presents a portrait of Texas through a collection of observations, personal experiences, and reflections by the author. Explores the history, culture, and politics of Texas, acknowledging its virtues as well as its many contradictions. Recounts numerous stories about Texas' colorful history, including some of the more divisive legislative battles fought inside the Capitol. Provides intimate portraits of notable Texans from both political and artistic worlds. Considers the author's love for the state alongside his concerns about its political trajectory.
Alfred A. Knopf, 2018. 349 pages.
917.6404 W933G 2018


 

2. We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights
By Adam Winkler
Chronicles the history of the corporate rights movement from the pre-Revolutionary period to the recent Supreme Court decisions in the Citizens United and Hobby Lobby cases. Argues these cases were not an aberration but rather marked the culmination of a 200-year campaign by corporations to obtain the same constitutional rights as individual citizens and to limit regulation of big business. Profiles Supreme Court justices, politicians, and activists who played significant roles in the movement, including Daniel Webster, Roscoe Conkling, Alexander Hamilton, Theodore Roosevelt, Thurgood Marshall, and Louis Brandeis.
Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2018. 403 pages.
346.73 W729W 2018


 

3. Where There's Smoke: The Environmental Science, Public Policy, and Politics of Marijuana
By Char Miller, ed.
Discusses the impact that the legal and illegal marijuana industries are having on the environment, immigrants, crime, and the economy. Reviews how cannabis legalization efforts in Oregon, Colorado, California, and Washington, D.C., have benefited them economically. Considers whether the legalization of marijuana in these states is a precursor to marijuana being removed as a Schedule I drug and allowing for federal legalization.
University Press of Kansas, 2018. 221 pages.
362.29 M612W 2018


 

4. Drones Across America: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Regulation and State Laws
By Dr. Sarah Nilsson
Analyzes the ever-changing legal and regulatory framework surrounding drones and drone technology in the United States, from Federal Aviation Administration regulations to state drone laws, and best practices for operation of commercial, government, and recreational drones in different airspaces. Defines terms used in the regulation of drones: unmanned aircraft (UA), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and the subcategories of micro UAS, small UAS, and large UAS.
American Bar Association, Air & Space Law Forum, 2017. 349 pages.
343.7309 N599D 2017


 

5. Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America
By James Forman Jr.
Provides historical perspective on how drug policies, gun control, policing, and sentencing became increasingly punitive starting in the mid-1970s, with the impact falling hardest on the African American community—and why many members of this community supported these harsher law enforcement tactics. Notes that despite recent reform efforts, particularly to decriminalize marijuana possession, people of color continue to be overrepresented in prison populations. Calls for a criminal justice system that seeks accountability rather than vengeance.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017. 306 pages.
364.973089 F765L 2018


 

6. Sources of Revenue: A History of State Taxes and Fees in Texas, 1972 to 2016
By Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Fiscal Management Division
Provides a guide to the history and status of Texas state revenue sources, identifying and tracking legislative changes affecting state tax and fee revenues from 1972 through 2016. Profiles each tax and fee and sets forth legal citations, revenue history, rates, and bases.
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Fiscal Management Division, 2017. 252 pages.
Online at: https://comptroller.texas.gov/transparency/revenue/sources.php
C2600.8 SO85 2017


 

7. Spanish Water, Anglo Water: Early Development in San Antonio
By Charles R. Porter Jr.
Discusses the early development of water rights in San Antonio. Notes that the principles of water rights established in Spanish colonial land grants comprise the theoretical basis of important portions of Texas water laws still in effect today. Analyzes management and sharing of water under Spanish control from 1718 to 1836 and under Anglo control from 1836 to 1902. Attributes post-1840 and current challenges in resolving water rights disputes, as well as questionable judicial rulings, to the blending of Spanish civil law and English common law.
Texas A & M University Press, 2009. 181 pages.
333.91009764 P833S 2009

1. Armed in America: A History of Gun Rights from Colonial Militias to Concealed Carry
By Patrick J. Charles
Explores how and why the "right to keep and bear arms" has evolved over the course of history. Examines the legal and historical development of gun rights from the United States' inception. Proposes that the gun rights narrative cumulatively combines constitutional, social, civil rights, political, and many other perspectives.
Prometheus Books, 2018. 315 pages.
344.7305 C38A 2018


 

2. The Polarizers: Postwar Architects of our Partisan Era
By Sam Rosenfeld
Explores the deliberate ideological sorting of the two major political parties since the mid-20th century into conservative and liberal groups. Highlights key figures in this realignment and considers pathways towards a new political dynamic.
University of Chicago Press, 2018. 399 pages.
324.273 R724P 2018


 

3. Out of Harm's Way: Creating an Effective Child Welfare System
By Richard J. Gelles
Explores the challenges of developing a child welfare system that balances the needs of children and parents, while equipping practitioners to make literal life and death decisions. Notes that while foster care is meant to be short-term, the current system incentivizes keeping children in out-of-home placements, then ejects aging-out youth who are unprepared. Calls for identifying the system's "centers of gravity" and then working at federal, local, and cultural levels to affect positive change.
Oxford University Press, 2017. 186 pages.
362.7068 G282O 2017


 

4. Sentencing Fragments: Penal Reform in America, 1975-2025
By Michael H. Tonry
Provides a historical overview of sentencing and punishment in the United States. Declares that current sentencing policies are unjust, arbitrary, and too severe. Argues earlier reforms not only led to incompatible and conflicting law but contributed to mass incarceration. Critiques current strategies for reducing incarceration rates and presents a set of proposals for legislative and institutional change.
Oxford University Press, 2016. 300 pages.
365.70973 T616S 2016


 

5. Freedom for the Thought that We Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment
By Anthony Lewis
Describes the creation of free speech rights in the United States Constitution in five distinct areas: political speech, artistic expression, libel, commercial speech, and forms of expression such as T-shirts and campaign spending. Provides a legal overview of the United States Supreme Court's main First Amendment cases of the 20th century.
Basic Books, 2007. 221 pages.
342.7308 L585F 2007


 

6. The Texas Railroad Commission: Understanding Regulation in America to the Mid-Twentieth Century
By William R. Childs
Presents the institutional history of the Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) to illuminate the rise of commission-style regulation in the United States. Examines the evolution of economic regulation from the perspective of Texas and through the lens of "pragmatic federalism," a cooperative approach involving the interplay of state and national regulators with industry leaders.
Texas A & M University Press, 2005. 323 pages.
338.2 C437T 2005

1. Blue Marble Health: An Innovative Plan to Fight Diseases of the Poor Amid Wealth
By Peter J. Hotez
Provides new public health framework called "blue marble health," which acknowledges that the world’s "neglected tropical diseases" [NTDs] are increasingly found not just in developing countries but also among the extremely poor who live in wealthy countries like the United States. Commends recent Texas legislation that called for surveillance of NTDs; advocates for continued legislative action and better physician training and research on diagnosing and treating these diseases.
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016. 205 pages.
362.1086 H797B 2016


 

2. The Last Sheriff in Texas: A True Tale of Violence and the Vote
By James P. McCollom
Highlights the controversial tenure of Sheriff Vail Ennis, who was elected in 1944 and by 1947 had killed seven men, making him the first Bee County sheriff to kill anyone. Details the efforts of Representative Johnny Barnhart, Beeville's "favorite son," to remove Sheriff Vail from his office. Resonates with issues in present-day headlines: excessive force in law enforcement, election fraud, the power of the oil industry, and mistrust of politicians and the political process.
Counterpoint Press, 2017. 260 pages.
976.4 M133L 2017


 

3. Not a Crime To Be Poor: The Criminalization of Poverty in America
By Peter B. Edelman
Examines how the poor are financially victimized by the U.S. criminal justice system. Documents numerous cases where the punishment for minor violations committed by low income individuals far exceeds the crime. Reports that fines often multiply exponentially, drivers' licenses are repeatedly suspended, or individuals are incarcerated because they are unable to pay the fees and fines levied - essentially turning our court system into debtors' prisons. Offers strategies for ending this epidemic of disproportionate punishments that criminalizes the poor.
The New Press, 2017. 293 pages.
362.5 ED27N 2017


 

4. River of Hope: Forging Identity and Nation in the Rio Grande Borderlands
By Omar S. Valerio-Jimenez
Explores how Spain, Mexico, and the United States competed for control of the lower Rio Grande borderlands, and thereby shaped the social and political identities of the region's inhabitants. Suggests the period from 1749 to 1900 saw the "transformation of privileged Spanish subjects into neglected Mexican citizens and, ultimately into unwanted American citizens."
Duke University Press, 2013. 369 pages.
305.8 V237R 2013


 

5. Body-Worn Cameras: Laws and Policies in the South
By Nick Bowman
Examines the history of body-worn cameras in law enforcement, including predecessors to the cameras and the origins of camera use in Britain and the United States. Considers policy issues relating to implementation of body-worn cameras, including camera features and quality, data storage, staffing, and privacy. Details body-worn camera laws and regulations in fifteen states, including Texas.
Southern Legislative Conference, Council of State Governments, 2017. 23 pages.
363.23 B684B 2017


 

6. Texas Legislative Law Handbook
By Kevin C. Stewart
Provides guidance on how to navigate the legislative process in Texas, including how to draft legislation. Discusses principles relating to points of order and how to use them to "scrub" (kill) bills. Includes chapters on statutory interpretation, administrative law, as well as campaign and ethics law. Features appendices with drafting and bill-scrubbing checklists, a rule referencing list, and vote requirements of each chamber.
The Law Offices of Kevin C. Stewart, 2018. 270.
328.764 ST49T 2018


 

1. Final Results of Sunset Reviews, 2016-2017
By Sunset Advisory Commission
Summarizes actions taken by the 85th Legislature on the 24 entities recently reviewed by the Sunset Commission including, for the first time, river authorities. Reports 80 percent of the Commission's 252 statutory recommendations were enacted, which will result in $5.8 million in savings over the next five years. Includes a chart that lists the Sunset bill number, bill author, fiscal impact, and final action taken on the entities reviewed.
Sunset Advisory Commission, 2017. 52 pages.
Online at: https://www.sunset.texas.gov/public/uploads/files/reports/Final%20Results%20of%20Sunset%20Reviews_8-31-17.pdf
S1500.8 AN79 2017

 

2. Procedures Manual for Joint Committees
By Texas Legislative Council
Outlines procedures for joint committees relating to budget and account administration, committee and staffing contracts, administrative support, and committee proceedings. Includes sample forms.
Texas Legislative Council, 2017. 24 pages.
Online at: http://www.tlc.texas.gov/committee/baa.cshtml
L1400.5 P758 2017


 

3. The House Will Come to Order: How the Texas Speaker Became a Power in State and National Politics
By Patrick Cox
Documents the development of the office of the Speaker of the Texas House of Representative into one of power and prestige. Uses material from interviews with twelve former Speakers. Traces the office of the Speaker from 1846 through 2009.
University of Texas Press, 2010. 254 pages.
328.764 C839H 2010


 

4. Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898
By Merline Pitre
Presents a third edition of Merlene Pitre's in-depth examination of African-American legislators in Texas after the Civil War, with an updated preface and extended appendices. Profiles Matthew Gaines, George T. Ruby, Richard Allen, Robert Lloyd Smith, and Norris Wright Cuney in particular, and includes rosters of black legislators of Texas, black legislators' committee assignments, black legislators who were delegates at Republican national conventions, a summary of the background of Texas black politicians (1868-1900), a roster of 20th century black legislators, and a 30-year comparison of 19th and 20th century legislators.
Texas A&M University Press, 2016. 296 pages.
976.4 P931T 2016


 

5. Free Speech on Campus
By Sigal R. Ben-Porath
Explores the precarious balancing act that U.S. college campuses and universities face concerning free speech. Investigates how campuses respond to protests of controversial speakers and the implications of suppressing free speech and expression. Suggests that academic institutions have a responsibility to allow for inclusive freedoms such as freedom of speech, as well as maintaining its mission to educate a diverse student body.
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017. 128 pages.
371.104 B441F 2017


 

6. Liberty and Union: The Civil War Era and American Constitutionalism
By Timothy Huebner
Discusses the Civil War as not only a crisis for the country, but also a crisis of the Constitution. Examines how the War revolutionized slavery and sovereignty, both issues the United States had grappled with since its founding. Explores African American advocacy for a culture of constitutionalism throughout the Civil War era.
University Press of Kansas, 2016. 530 pages.
342.73029 H87L 2016


 

7. Lone Star Unionism, Dissent, and Resistance: Other Sides of Civil War Texas
By Jesus de la Teja
Collects essays on Unionism in Texas during the Civil War, telling the stories of enslaved people, freedmen and freedwomen, Tejanos, German immigrants, and women, whose roles and views on the War have been historically marginalized. Includes a chapter on the development of Confederate memory in Texas through monument building and scholarship.
University of Oklahoma Press, 2016. 258 pages.
976.405 T235L 2016


 

8. The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer
By Skip Hollandsworth
Explores the hunt for a serial killer who stalked Austin from 1884 to 1885, describing in vivid detail the city and leading personalities of that time. Explains the cases were never solved but discusses the suspects who came under scrutiny, including a state official and candidate for governor.
Picador, 2017. 321 pages.
364.152 H719M 2015