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Current Articles & Research Resources, April 18, 2024

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

  • Read about the foreign-born population in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, April 9, 2024)
  • Review how colleges and universities are handling antisemitism on campus. (Anti-Defamation League, © 2024)
  • See the most recent statistics on drug shortages. (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, © 2024)
  • Consider Americans’ views on sleep and stress. (Gallup, April 15, 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.

Current Articles & Research Resources, April 11, 2024

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

  • Look for newly-implemented broadband consumer labels. (Federal Communications Commission, March 19, 2024)
  • Read about a Texas case that raises preemption issues related to rail transportation. (The Heritage Foundation, April 8, 2024)
  • Review the top law school rankings for 2024. (U.S. News & World Report, accessed April 10, 2024)
  • Explore the Storm Resources website. (Public Utility Commission of Texas, ©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.

Current Articles & Research Resources, April 4, 2024

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

  • Consider the scope and limits of free speech. (Congressional Research Service, March 29, 2024)
  • Read about youth online safety and First Amendment rights. (Cato Institute, March 28, 2024)
  • Explore drought resources. (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, March 28, 2024)
  • Get tips on how to photograph a solar eclipse safely. (NASA, March 21, 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.

Current Articles & Research Resources, March 28, 2024

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

  • Read about how GPT may be used to determine the ordinary meaning of statutory terms. (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods / University of Chicago Law School, February 6, 2024)
  • Search the FBI's Crime Data Explorer (CDE). (Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed March 27, 2024)
  • See how much U.S. currency is in circulation in the U.S. (Visual Capitalist, March 12, 2024)
  • Determine which weather service provides the most accurate forecast for your area. (ForecastAdvisor, accessed March 27, 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.

Interim Hearings – Week of April 1, 2024

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.

 

April 2-4, 2024
House Investigative Committee on The Panhandle Wildfires (April 2, April 3, April 4)
Pampa, Texas

Topics:
(1) factors contributing to the wildfires;
(2) allocation of resources to and effectiveness of wildfire disaster preparedness and response; and
(3) coordination between local, state, and federal governmental entites with regard to wildfire prevention, disaster preparedness, and response.

 

Current Articles & Research Resources, March 21, 2024

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

  • See how American adults currently use TikTok. (Pew Research Center, February 22, 2024)
  • Track employer pay data by sex and race. (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accessed March 20, 2024)
  • Consider racial disparities in voter turnout. (Brennan Center for Justice, March 2, 2024)
  • Search for case law for free. (Caselaw Access Project, ©2024 The President and Fellows of Harvard University)
  • Read about unreported railroad safety data. (ProPublica, March 13, 2024)
  • Find an International Dark Sky Place. (DarkSky International, accessed March 20, 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.

New & Noteworthy Books and Reports: March 2024

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the titles from our March 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. Border Policing: A History of Enforcement and Evasion in North America
By Edited by Holly M. Karibo and George T. Díaz.
Compiles a collection of essays that examines the history of North American nations’ attempts and failures to police their changing international borders from the War of 1812 to the 21st Century. Examines case studies of various state and federal policies used to regulate borders and the response of local border residents and regions to them. Includes discussion of Native Americans, state-sponsored vigilantism, policing through Prohibition, Border Patrol, and current day immigration enforcement.
University of Texas Press, 2024, 288 pages
363.28 K18 2024

 

 

2. Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K-12, and College
By Frederick M. Hess and Michael Q. McShane.
Presents an ideologically conservative perspective on education reform. Explores conservative views and values and how those values could be applied to education. Provides an overview of the historical foundations of American education. Emphasizes family-first educational policies and offers recommendations for how to approach educational reform for early childhood, K-12, and higher education.
Teachers College Press, 2024, 166 pages
370.11 H586 2024

 

 

3. Liquid Asset: How Business and Government Can Partner to Solve the Freshwater Crisis
By Barton H. Thompson, Jr.
Addresses the growing freshwater supply challenges throughout the world with a focus on the United States. Discusses the traditional role of government in providing and maintaining public water infrastructure. Highlights the increased role of the private sector, including the privatization of municipal water systems and markets, and the unique ways private involvement can improve water management. Considers the benefits and issues with technological innovations like reclamation and desalination. Argues that water is neither fully a public nor a private commodity.
Stanford University Press, 2024, 302 pages
333.9100973 T468 2024

 

 

4. Power: How the Electric Co-op Movement Energized the Lone Star State
By Joe Holley
Chronicles the birth and development of the electric cooperative movement and the electrification of rural Texas. Highlights the Texas Legislature’s involvement along with relevant state legislation, including HB 819, 64th Legislature, R.S., known as the Public Utility Regulatory Act, which created the Public Utility Commission in 1975. Concludes with discussion of the effect of Winter Storm Uri, climate resilience, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on rural electric cooperatives.
Texas A&M University Press, 2024, 290 pages
333.793 H738 2024

 

 

5. Who Rules the Texas House?: How Constituent Sovereignty Has Been Usurped Over Time
By Kent Grusendorf
Studies the changes to the parliamentary rules for the Texas House of Representatives and the effect these changes had on representative government in Texas. Profiles recent Speakers of the House and comments on the increase in political power of the speakership has gained over the last half-century. Includes House Rules from the 1st R.S. and 15th R.S. Legislatures and a legislative timeline of changes made to the House Rules. Written by former Representative Kent Grusendorf, who served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1987 to 2007.
Includes former Speakers Bill Wayne 'Billy' Clayton, Gibson Donald 'Gib' Lewis, James E. 'Pete' Laney, Thomas R. 'Tom' Craddick, Joe Straus, III, Dennis H. Bonnen, and Speaker Dade Phelan.
The Justice Foundation, 2024, 159 pages
328.1 G892 2024

 

 

6. Why Does Everything Have to Be About Race?: 25 Arguments That Won't Go Away
By Keith Boykin
Discusses 25 common arguments used to distort racial history and racism in the United States. Explains and debunks each argument using the author's extensive research and reporting, as well as personal experience. Examines race-related topics, including the Civil War, Critical Race Theory, and affirmative action, along with the most common flawed reasoning associated with each. Offers strategies that can be used to counter the myths and disinformation regarding racism and Black history.
Bold Type Books, 2024, 270 pages
305.800973 B791 2024

 

 

7. Migrating to Prison: America's Obsession with Locking Up Immigrants
By César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández
Examines the immigration prison system and the developments from the origins to recent operations, from the mid-1980s to 2023, of using incarceration in immigration law enforcement. Discusses various state and federal rules, legislation, and lobbying efforts on both sides of the issue. Documents the presence of private prisons in immigration imprisonment. Argues for abolishing immigration imprisonment.
The New Press, 2023, 201 pages
325.73 H557 2023

 

 

8. Lane Denton & "The Dirty Thirty:" The Real Texas Revolution: An Inspiring Story of Thirty Courageous Texas Legislators
By Lane Denton and Frederick Williams
Explores the life and work of former Representative Lane Denton. Written by Denton, he discusses his inspiration for and movement into the political arena. Chronicles Denton’s tenure in the Texas House, detailing his efforts with the “Dirty Thirty” who voted not to table a measure calling for a House investigation of then Speaker Gus Mutscher over the Sharpstown scandal. Includes historical documents and photographs related to Denton’s life and political career.
Pairee Publications, 2022, 266 pages
328.764092 D415L 2022

 

 

 

Current Articles & Research Resources, March 14, 2024

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

  • Explore Texas water data through interactive apps and maps. (Texas Water Development Board, accessed March 13, 2024)
  • See if you qualify for free legal help. (American Bar Association, © 2024)
  • Check your vehicle privacy report. (Privacy4Cars, Inc, © 2023)
  • Request your Consumer Disclosure Report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a data broker. (LexisNexis Risk Solutions, © 2024)
  • Read about Americans’ views related to the current situation at the U.S.–Mexico border. (Pew Research Center, February 15, 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.

Current Articles & Research Resources, March 7, 2024

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

  • Find election returns from the March primaries. (Texas Secretary of State, accessed March 6, 2024)
  • Read about scam baiting. (LLRX.com, February 29, 2024)
  • Consider the impact of AI in elections. (National Conference of State Legislatures, February 7, 2024)
  • Search for native plants of Texas. (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, accessed March 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.

Current Articles & Research Resources, February 29, 2024

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

  • Track the current wildfire situation across the state. (Texas A&M Forest Service, accessed February 28, 2024)
  • Find resources for livestock owners affect by wildfires. (Texas Animal Health Commission, accessed February 28, 2024)
  • Report scams online. (Better Business Bureau, accessed February 28, 2024)
  • Review which medical alert systems are most effective and reliable. (National Council on Aging, February 23, 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.

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