The Legislative Reference Library produces a weekly list of current journal articles for members of the legislative community. New lists are available most Thursdays at 3pm. The most recent list is below.

"Fade to black: film industry worries about further state cuts." By Kimberly Reeves. Austin Business Journal, February 10, 2017, p. 12
Explains decreased funding of Texas film and gaming incentives is making it difficult to keep the film industry workers necessary to lure major projects to the state. Notes film incentives created 142,974 jobs over the last decade and film projects contributed an estimated $1.2 billion to the state economy.

"Private sector must lead charge to protect Texas water supply." By Blair Calvert. Austin Business Journal, February 10, 2017, p. 23
Highlights a campaign to protect the land where rain falls, noting 97 percent of Texas' lands are in rural, private ownership. Suggests conservation of private working lands provides a cost-effective way to ensure sufficient water supplies for the projected 50 million Texas residents by 2060.

"ACA repeal would jeopardize treatment for millions with substance use disorders, including opioid addiction." By Peggy Bailey. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, February 9, 2017, pp. 1-5
Discusses the expanded access to mental health and substance abuse treatment services, including opioid addiction treatment, under the Affordable Care Act [ACA]. Highlights recent increases in drug overdose deaths, and argues repealing the ACA would strain state budgets.
See:http://www.cbpp.org/sites ...

"Child care: research-based policy recommendations for executive and legislative officials in 2017." Child Trends, January 17, 2017, pp. 1-2
Highlights recent research on child care quality, costs, and child-to-teacher ratios. Includes links to research studies.
See:http://www.childtrends.or ...

"Keeping students safe and supported: research-based policy recommendations for executive and legislative officials in 2017." Child Trends, January 17, 2017, pp. 1-2
Highlights recent research relating to safe schools, including issues of rural students facing higher rates of theft, weapons in school, school discipline, and school-based policing. Includes links to research studies.
See:http://www.childtrends.or ...

"How Trump's Supreme Court pick may affect colleges." By Eric Hoover. Chronicle of Higher Education, February 10, 2017, p. A24
Surveys the types of cases affecting higher education that might be addressed by the United States Supreme Court in the next few years. Predicts the court will probably not revisit the affirmative action policies addressed in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin but mentions several lawsuits in lower courts addressing discrimination against Asian-American students. Suggests cases dealing with First Amendment religious freedom and the rights of transgender students are two topics likely to be considered in upcoming court terms.

"Prospect of a wall renews worry on a border campus." By Katherine Mangan. Chronicle of Higher Education, February 10, 2017, pp. A22-23
Examines how the policies of the Trump administration might affect the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and its reputation as a welcoming, multicultural school. Discusses the potential impact if a physical wall runs through campus, the president's rhetoric in talking about immigration issues, and the increased deportations and militarization of the border. Presents a wide variety of views from students.

"Looser regs for E-cigs?" By Andrew Siddons. CQ Weekly, February 6, 2017, pp. 29-31
Discusses possibility that federal regulations for electronic cigarettes may be scaled back under the Trump administration. Highlights plans to introduce legislation that would classify e-cigarettes as tobacco harm-reduction devices and would place them under a completely new set of regulations. Presents positions of both supporters and opponents to these regulatory changes.

"No one is driving." By Jacob Fischler. CQ Weekly, February 6, 2017, pp. 26-28
Discusses the current and future role of the federal government in the regulation of autonomous vehicles. Reports, to date, the federal government has preferred states to regulate self-driving cars but recognizes it may have to step in to avoid a patchwork of state regulations relating to cyber security and safety issues. Includes discussion of the potential loss of driving jobs and the necessity of legislative action. Quotes Congressman Michael Burgess.

"These threats could slow our corporate relo roll." By Bill Hethcock. Dallas Business Journal, February 3, 2017, pp. 4-6
Discusses possible shortcomings that could slow down economic development, corporate relocations and corporate expansions in North Texas: the talent gap, water woes, and traffic infrastructure.

"Trade with Mexico: playing chicken." Economist, February 4th-10th, 2017, p. 25
Reports which states' exporters would be worst-affected by potential barriers to trade with Mexico.

"Young people and democracy: not turning out." Economist, February 4th-10th, 2017, pp. 51-52
Examines demographic trends in millennial voting. Considers ways to get more young people to vote — including civic-education curriculums, lowering the minimum voting age to 16, and "portable" voter registration.

"Population health equity: rate and burden, race and class." By David Kindig. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), February 7, 2017, pp. 467-468
Examines the tendency to oversimplify health equity and view the issue only in terms of racial inequalities. Cites data showing that the total burden of poor health is often greater among white than black individuals simply because there are more white individuals. Calls for 'proportionate universalism' policies that invest in education, income, employment, health care access, and public health across all social groups, while also targeting benefits for groups with poorer health.

"Responsible e-prescribing needs e-discontinuation." By Shira Fischer and Adam Rose. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), February 7, 2017, pp. 469-470
Calls for the addition of e-discontinuation to e-prescription programs, noting the medical and financial costs of prescriptions that are refilled erroneously. Encourages legislators to require that pharmacies institute e-discontinuations by a certain date and penalize failure to do so, and/or mandating that payers take on the cost.

"Prisons & politics: profiling the pecuniary political persistence of private prisons." By Ciara O'Neill. National Institute on Money in State Politics, January 24, 2017, pp. 1-16
Examines the private prison industry and its financial influence on state politics from 2009-2016. Includes private prison companies Geo Group and CoreCivic.
See:http://www.followthemoney ...

"Courts, trains, and eminent domain." By Rusty Adams. Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, February 2, 2017, pp. 1-5
Looks at the proposed Texas Central high-speed railway between Dallas and Houston, property rights of landowners, and the legal history behind the power of eminent domain. Mentions the creation of the Texas High-Speed Rail Authority in 1989, SB1190, 71st Legislature, R.S.
See:https://assets.recenter.t ...

"Legislative preview." By Rusty Adams. Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, January 9, 2017, pp. 1-6
Highlights real estate-related bills in the 85th Legislature, relating to the spending cap, property taxes, appraisal caps, appraisal districts, sales price disclosure, rollback taxes, annexation, water, housing, eminent domain, property rights, transportation, and utilities.
See:https://assets.recenter.t ...

"Lingering energy bust depresses, doesn't sink Texas state budget." By Jason L. Saving. Southwest Economy (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas), Fourth Quarter 2016, pp. 3-7
Examines the effect of declining oil prices, and by extension, fluctuating oil and natural gas tax revenue, on the Texas state budget. Reviews trends in energy tax contributions to the Economic Stabilization Fund (a.k.a. Rainy Day Fund).
See:https://www.dallasfed.org ...

"Texas border cities illustrate benefits and challenges of trade." By Jesus Cañas. Southwest Economy (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas), Fourth Quarter 2016, pp. 16-20
Documents the economic benefits of international trade at the Texas–Mexico border realized in the past two decades under the North American Free Trade Agreement, including growth in exports, declining unemployment rates, and a narrower income gap in Texas border cities. Includes statistics for El Paso, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville.
See:https://www.dallasfed.org ...

"Texas has 'all-of-the-above' energy approach." By Navi Dhaliwal. Southwest Economy (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas), Fourth Quarter 2016, p. 11
Finds that natural gas comprised around half of Texas' net electricity generation in 2015, with one-fifth from renewable sources (solar, wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, and biomass) and the remainder from coal. Notes renewable energy has remained competitive in Texas due to tax incentives, cost reduction, and consumer preference, despite the dominance of natural gas in the state's electrical output.
See:https://www.dallasfed.org ...

"What's amiss in Tejano history?: the misrepresentation and neglect of West Texas." By Arnoldo De Leon. Southwestern Historical Quarterly, January 2017, pp. 314-331
Explores the significance of West Texas in Tejano history, in contrast to South Texas. Highlights the unique "connectedness to place" in West Texas in terms of livestock raising, aridity of climate, and reliance on ranching. Discusses Mexican settlements on the frontier in West Texas, such as Ysleta, Socorro, San Elizario, El Paso, Presidio, Saragosa, Lajitas, and Porvenir. Mentions Representative Pete Gallego.

"Immigration under the Trump administration." By Gordon Quan. Texas Lawyer, February 2017, pp. 43, 46
Reviews President Trump's policies on immigration reform, as expressed in his "10 Point Plan to Put America First."

"UNT Law hangs on to accreditation hopes." By Angela Morris. Texas Lawyer, February 2017, pp. 24-27
Provides the latest update on the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law's efforts to win accreditation from the American Bar Association. Mentions that in the past five years, four other new law schools earned accreditation after their initial bids were denied.

"Health care-associated infections: what we've learned." By Charles J. Lerner and Jane D. Siegel. Texas Medicine, February 2017, pp. 15-16
Comments on the challenge of health care-associated infections [HAIs] and the need for zero tolerance for HAIs. Asserts that most HAIs are preventable and argues for implementation of preventive procedures such as hand hygiene, proper isolation precautions, and prudent antibiotic choices.
See:https://www.texmed.org/Te ...
Report at: https://www.texmed.org/Te ...

"Rounds: news from America's best medical society." Texas Medicine, February 2017, pp. 21-27
Discusses Texas Medical Association [TMA] advocacy concerns, including the Sunset review of the Texas Medical Board [TMB] and its failure to improve TMB's disciplinary process, as well as repealing and rewriting the Texas Department of Insurance's regulatory chapter on HMOs.
See:http://content.yudu.com/w ...