The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the titles from our January 2025 New & Noteworthy list.

New & Noteworthy titles are available to Legislative offices and agencies. To borrow an item, please submit an online request through the New & Noteworthy page on our website or contact the library at 512-463-1252.

1. Build: Investing in America's Infrastructure
By Sadek Wahba
Analyzes critical issues present in American infrastructure. Presents a variety of issues through focused case studies, such as the Flint, Michigan water contamination crisis and failed efforts to privatize the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Draws heavily upon international examples to highlight how improved infrastructure is both plausible and feasible. Opines that allowing for more privatization is vital to rebuilding and improving American infrastructure.
Georgetown University Press, 2024, 375 pages
388.0973 W136 2024

 

 

2. The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority is Transforming Democracy
By Mike Madrid
Examines the impact of Latino voters as a demographic and political force, drawing on thirty years of research and campaign experience. Argues Latinos are challenging both political parties’ ideas of race, religion, economic success, and the American dream. Includes a chapter on Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.
Simon & Schuster, 2024, 261 pages
324.973 M183 2024

 

 

3. The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley
By Marietje Schaake
Argues the growing power of Big Tech companies and their resistance to regulation is undermining governments and the lives of individuals worldwide. Discusses the need for and benefits of placing regulatory limits on technologies such as spyware, facial recognition, cryptocurrencies, and artificial intelligence. Features input from human rights advocates, business leaders, computer scientists, and politicians to illustrate how these technologies are posing a serious threat to democracy. Outlines solutions to empower policymakers and citizens to push back against Big Tech as well as harness technology for public good.
Princeton University Press, 2024, 327 pages
320.97301 SCH291 2024

 

 

4. Uvalde's Darkest Hour
By Craig Garnett
Compiles firsthand accounts of the school shooting on May 24, 2022, at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. Chronicles the event, the principal actors, and the aftermath as the community tries to heal. Discusses legislative actions related to the shooting, including HB 2744 and SB 11, 88th Legislature, R.S., and the Interim Report published by the House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting. Mentions State Representatives Tracy O. King, Joe Moody, and State Senator Roland Gutierrez.
Texas A&M University Press, 2024, 227 pages
364.152 G235 2024

 

 

5. Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government
By Glenn A. Fine
Provides an in-depth look at the history, authority, and role of inspectors general at the national level. Draws from the author’s experiences as inspector general of two large federal agencies to demonstrate how government can be protected from waste, fraud, and abuse. Proposes ten key principles for effective inspectors general at any level of government and reforms for strengthening their oversight role.
University of Virginia Press, 2024, 222 pages
355.6 F495 2024

 

 

6. A Communications Playbook for Public Officials: How to Effectively Manage the Message, the Media, and Yourself
By Robert R. Johnson, Jr. & Michael R. Fraser, PHD, MS
Presents 73 detailed tips for managing both common and unusual media relations challenges, such as relationships with journalists; social media controversies; and media events. Focuses on how public agencies and officials, particularly public health organizations, can create effective communications strategies. Offers details drawn from real-life crisis communications events.
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, 2022, 171 pages
659.202 J66 2022

 

 

This entry was posted on January 15, 2025 at 3:20 PM and has received 452 views. Print this entry.

Below you'll find a preview of the 89th Texas Legislature. New members and returning members will be sworn in on January 14, 2025, the opening day of the regular session. A list of members of the 89th Legislature is available on the LRL's website.

New Members of the 89th Legislature

Texas House of Representatives

HOUSE DISTRICT	NEW MEMBER
6		Daniel Alders (R)
29		Jeff Barry (R)
56		Pat Curry (R) *sworn 11/18/2024 after special election
109		Aicha Davis (D)
14		Paul Dyson (R)
87		Caroline Fairly (R)
107		Linda Garcia (D)
115		Cassandra Garcia Hernandez (D)
55		Hillary Hickland (R)
18		Janis Holt (R)
64		Andy Hopper (R)
58		Helen Kerwin (R)
121		Marc LaHood (R)
65		Mitch Little (R)
30		AJ Louderback (R)
91		David Lowe (R)
62		Shelley Luther (R)
80		Don McLaughlin, Jr. (R)
97		John McQueeney (R)
2		Brent Money (R)
26		Matt Morgan (R)
60		Mike Olcott (R)
77		Vince Perez (D)
33		Katrina Pierson (R)
61		Keresa Richardson (R)
11		Joanne Shofner (R)
146		Lauren A. Simmons (D)
34		Denise Villalobos (R)
53		Wes Virdell (R)
139		Charlene Ward Johnson (D)
12		Trey Wharton (R)

New HOUSE members = 31

Texas Senate

SENATE DISTRICT	NEW MEMBER
15		Molly Cook (D) *sworn 5/16/2024 after special election
30		Brent Hagenbuch (R)
27		Adam Hinojosa (R)

New SENATE members = 3

TOTAL new members = 34

Membership statistics for previous sessions are available on the library's Member statistics page.

This entry was posted on January 14, 2025 at 12:15 PM and has received 3791 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Track topics of interest to state legislatures across the country. (National Conference of State Legislatures, updated November 24, 2024)
• Read a new federal rule that prohibits creditors and consumer reporting agencies from considering medical debt and medical information as factors in credit reporting. (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, January 7, 2025)
• Consider the religious composition of the incoming U.S. Congress. (Pew Research Center, January 2, 2025)
• Review how cars affect the privacy of drivers. (Electronic Frontier Foundation December 28, 2024)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on January 9, 2025 at 3:15 PM and has received 402 views. Print this entry.

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.

January 7, 2025
Joint Committee to Study the Effects of Media on Minors
Topic: Health and developmental effects of media on minors and the effects of exposure by a minor to various forms of media, including:

(A) social media platforms;
(B) software applications;
(C) Internet websites;
(D) television programming;
(E) motion pictures and film;
(F) artificial intelligence;
(G) mobile devices;
(H) computers;
(I) video games;
(J) virtual and augmented reality; and
(K) other media formats the joint committee considers necessary.

• Social Media and Children 2024 Legislation, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated November 22, 2024
• Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021-December 2023, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Data Brief, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 2024
• Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force: Safe and Secure Social Media Use, Bipartisan Policy Center, September 2024
• Online Health and Safety for Children and Youth: Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry, Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, July 22, 2024
• Social Media and Youth Mental Health, Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, last reviewed June 17, 2024
• Teens and Video Games Today, Pew Research Center, May 9, 2024
• Generation Screen: Navigating the Digital Age for Children, Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, April 5, 2024
• Social Media and Children 2023 Legislation, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated January 26, 2024
• Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023, Pew Research Center, December 11, 2023
• The Fragmentation of Online Child Safety Regulations, Brookings Institution, August 14, 2023
• Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence, American Psychological Association, May 2023

This entry was posted on January 2, 2025 at 4:00 PM and has received 599 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Find information relating to the Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act (JETI). (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, accessed December 18, 2024)
• Explore the United States Elections Web Archive. (Library of Congress, accessed December 17, 2024)
• Search for maps across history in the United States and beyond. (OldMaps Online, accessed December 17, 2024)
• Review the U.S. Supreme Court’s pilot program for members of the public for Courtroom seating via a fully automated online lottery. (Supreme Court of the United States, December 12, 2024)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on December 19, 2024 at 3:15 PM and has received 426 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Consider policy issues related to plastic pollution. (Congressional Research Service, December 5, 2024)
• Explore economic data. (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, accessed December 12, 2024)
• Read communication infrastructure hardening guidance. (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, December 4, 2024)
• Review notable survey findings of 2024 on topics ranging from elections to whether the cost of college is worth it. (Pew Research Center, December 6, 2024)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on December 12, 2024 at 3:15 PM and has received 329 views. Print this entry.

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas.

December 20, 2024
House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
Topic: Criminal procedure related to capital punishment and new science writs under Article 11.073, Code of Criminal Procedure.

This entry was posted on December 11, 2024 at 2:00 PM and has received 310 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

• Examine data practices of social media companies. (Federal Trade Commission, September 2024)
• Review a report about utilities’ response to the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in the Houston area. (Public Utility Commission, November 2024)
• Read a public service announcement warning of criminals using artificial intelligence to perpetrate financial fraud. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, December 3, 2024)
• Consider the prevalence of deceptive tactics in policing. (Cato Institute, September 12, 2024)
• Explore how to submit a complaint about an environmental issue. (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, accessed December 4, 2024)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on December 5, 2024 at 3:15 PM and has received 325 views. Print this entry.

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.

• December 9, 2024
  • House Committee on House Administration
• December 11, 2024
  • Sunset Advisory Commission

December 9, 2024
House Committee on House Administration
Topic: Invited testimony only from any Member or Member-elect of the 89th Legislature who submits a proposal for a suggested rule change to the Committee on House Administration

Top

December 11, 2024
Sunset Advisory Commission
Consideration and possible action on the new recommendations for the following agencies:

• Texas Department of Criminal Justice
• Correctional Managed Health Care Committee
• Windham School District
• Board of Pardons and Paroles

Staff presentation and public testimony:

• Angelina and Neches River Authority
• Lower Neches River Authority
• Trinity River Authority of Texas
• Texas Ethics Commission

Top

This entry was posted on December 4, 2024 at 4:00 PM and has received 363 views. Print this entry.

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the titles from our December 2024 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 and delivery of any of these items, you can submit an online request through the New & Noteworthy page on our website or contact the library at 512-463-1252.

1. Bill Hobby: A Life in Journalism and Public Service
By Don Carleton and Erin L. Purdy
Presents the biography of former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby, Jr. through his youth; careers in journalism, politics, and higher education; and retirement. Details the work he accomplished as the longest-serving lieutenant governor in Texas from 1973 to 1991. Discusses his handling of such issues as the 1974 Constitutional Convention, the Killer Bees' quorum break, and the relationship between the Senate and the House of Representatives. Includes discussion of his contributions as a journalist with the Houston Post and as chancellor of the University of Houston.
Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas Press, 2024, 428 pages
976.4063092 C281B 2024

 

 

2. Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health
By Marty Makary
Examines the blind spots of modern medicine perpetuated within the medical community and the consequences to public health. Criticizes the medical “groupthink” mentality that has led to worse health outcomes for patients. Provides examples of bad medical advice related to peanut allergies, the opioid crisis, and the development of super bacteria from the overuse of antibiotics. Calls for changes to the way society approaches health by using good scientific evidence and allowing open dissent from mainstream medical opinions.
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024, 265 pages
362.1 M235 2024

 

 

3. Higher Admissions: The Rise, Decline, and Return of Standardized Testing
By Nicholas Lemann
Explores the role of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, now known as the SAT, in higher education admissions. Questions the logic of linking SAT success with merit and chronicles the “birth of the American meritocracy” around the exam. Considers the effect of high-stakes standardized testing on college access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Princeton University Press, 2024, 160 pages
378.161 L547 2024

 

 

4. Politics Under the Radar: From LBJ to George W. Bush
By Monte Akers and Robert D. Spellings
Presents the political and personal memoir of Robert D. Spellings, chief of staff of former Lieutenant Governor Ben F. Barnes. Provides an insider's account of the political workings and legislative actions during Barnes' speakership and service as lieutenant governor. Includes details of the 1971 redistricting process and the Sharpstown scandal. Reflects on state and federal politics from the 1970s to the present.
Independently Published, 2024, 280 pages
976.4 SP743P 2024

 

 

5. The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers
By Josh Cowen
Traces the history of school tax-funded school choice programs in America. Links the drive for voucher programs to ultra-wealthy conservative stakeholders using school choice as an ideological and political battleground. Argues as such programs have expanded in the U.S., so too has the evidence-informed case against them.
Harvard Education Press, 2024, 200 pages
379.1 C874 2024

 

 

6. Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity
By Sander van der Linden
Argues that misinformation has reached a crisis level that has led to a worldwide infodemic. Focuses on the psychological effect of misinformation on the human brain along with how to defend against false information. Offers the new science of “prebunking” as a psychological vaccine for building immunity to combat against fake news, propaganda, and conspiracy theories.
W.W. Norton & Company, 2023, 358 pages
302.3 V228 2023

 

 

This entry was posted on December 4, 2024 at 3:15 PM and has received 874 views. Print this entry.