Legislative Research Librarians — Notable Document Award Winners

The Notable Document Awards are presented annually by the Legislative Research Librarians Staff Section.  The award recognizes excellence in documents that explore contemporary topics of interest to legislators and staff by presenting substantive material in an outstanding format.A "document" is one produced by a federal, state, or local government agency, by a foundation, consulting firm, or quasi-public or private sector organization. The format includes print, microfilm, CD-ROM, periodical/serial, or URL.

In making selections for this award, legislative research librarians considered if the document:

• Clearly displayed the title, author, publisher, and date.
• Title reflected actual content.
• Appeared relevant to an identifiable readership.
• Significantly contributed to knowledge of concern to legislators.
• Was innovative in presentation of materials.
• Contained strong bibliographic/footnote entries.
• Presented information accurately and clearly in an organized fashion.
• Was published within the last two years.
• Offered graphics that were readily grasped.
• Compared state activites in an arena of contemporary legislative interest in a comprehensible manner.
• Expanded understanding of government processes, functions, or relationships.
• Attempted to provide balance and perspective from various sides in the political spectrum.

2012 Recipients

STATE GOVERNMENT HISTORY COMPILATION:

• California’s Legislature - California State Assembly, Office of the Chief Clerk
• Vetoed Bills of the Nevada Legislature 1899 – 2011 - Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau Research Library
• Amendments to the Texas Constitution Since 1876 - Texas Legislative Council

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS:

• Lottery Operations and Charitable Gaming - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations
• Compared to Other States’ Retirement Plans TSERS is Well Funded and Its Plan Features Are Typical or Less Generous - North Carolina General Assembly, Program Evaluation Division

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:

• Kentucky District Data Profiles School Year 2010 - Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, Office of Education Accountability
• The Wisconsin Scorecard: How Wisconsin Compares to Other States - Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau

PUBLIC POLICY:

• Ash Management Guidelines for Private Forest Landowners - University of Minnesota Extension; Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources
• The Coke Can from Columbus: An Analysis of Methods for Increasing Recycling and Solid Waste Diversion in Montana - Environmental Quality Council, Montana Legislature

Special thanks to the 2012 Judges:

• Kristin Ford, Idaho, Chair
• Ingrid Hernquist, New Jersey
• Elizabeth Lincoln, Minnesota
• Frances Thomas, Louisiana

2011 Recipients

CITIZEN’S GUIDE:

• The Legislators of California - California State Senate 

HISTORY OF LEGISLATION:

• Texas Water Law Timeline - Texas Legislative Reference Library
• A History of Property Tax in Utah - Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

LEGISLATOR’S GUIDE:

• Guide to Local Redistricting for 2011 - Virginia Division of Legislative Services

MODEL HISTORICAL WEBSITE:

• Texas Legislators: Past and Present - Texas Legislative Reference Library

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS:

• Distribution and Sale of Liquor in Idaho - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations
• Governance of EMS Agencies in Idaho - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations
• Programs for Children, Youth and Families Need a Guiding Framework for Accountability and Funding: Final Report to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee - North Carolina General Assembly Program Evaluation Division
• Statutory Changes Will Promote County Flexibility in Social Services Administration: Final Report to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee - North Carolina General Assembly Program Evaluation Division

PUBLIC POLICY—ENVIRONMENTAL:

• Future of Electric Vehicles in Michigan - Michigan Legislative Service Bureau, Research Services Division 
• Options to Reduce and Phase-out Priority Chemicals in Children’s Products and Promote Green Chemistry: Report to the Legislature - Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 

PUBLIC POLICY—PUBLIC SAFETY:

• Statewide Ignition Interlock Pilot Project: Interim Report to the Minnesota Legislature - Minnesota Department of Public Safety 
• Combating DUIs, Preserving DNA, and Examining Emerging Law & Justice Issues - Montana Legislative Services Division 

Special thanks to this year's judges:

• Sabah Eltareb, California State Library, Chair
• Carol Blackburn, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
• Ingrid Hernquist, New Jersey Legislative Services Library
• Elizabeth Lincoln, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

2010 Recipients

LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED:

• Increasing Efficiencies in Idaho's Parole Process - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations 
• 2009 Full Tax Preference Performance Reviews - Washington State Joint Legislature Audit and Review Committee 

CITIZEN’S GUIDE:

• AIDS and the Law: What You Should Know: Laws for Older Adults - Illinois Legislative Research Unit
• Permitting in Montana - Montana Legislative Environmental Policy Office

LEGISLATOR’S GUIDE:

• Illinois Tax Handbook for Legislators - Illinois Legislative Research Unit
• How North Carolina Compares: A Compendium of State Statistics - North Carolina General Assembly Program Evaluation Division
• A Legislator's Guide to Taxation in Virginia, Volume 1: State Taxes - Virginia Division of Legislative Services

PUBLIC POLICY- ENVIRONMENTAL:

• Contamination of Stormwater Pond Sediments by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Minnesota: The Role of Coal Tar-based Sealcoat Products as a Source of PAHs - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• Public Health Impacts of Wind Turbines - Minnesota Department of Health, Environmental Health Division

NOTABLE ONLINE RESOURCE:

• Legislative Time Capsule (Web application) - Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

FISCAL MATTERS:

• Feasibility of Restructuring Budget and Financial Management of North Carolina State Government - North Carolina General Assembly Program Evaluation Division
• 2010-2011 Appropriations Report - Utah Legislative Fiscal Analyst’s Office
• Utah's Economy: What's Happened and Where Do We Go From Here? - Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

INNOVATIVE ARTICLE:

• Wisconsin at the Frontiers of Astronomy: A History of Innovation and Exploration (feature article in the State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2009-2010) - Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau

Special thanks to this year's judges:

• Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson,  Montana Legislative Branch, Chair
• Carol Blackburn, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
• Sabah Eltareb, California State Library
• Kristin Ford, Idaho Legislative Library
• Ingrid Hernquist, New Jersey Legislative Services Library
• Elizabeth Lincoln, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

2009 Recipients

CITIZENS' GUIDE:

• Special Education Primer for Charter Schools - Minnesota Department of Education

INNOVATIVE ADVOCACY:

• Montana Legislator READ poster series - Montana Legislative Services Division

LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED:

• Idaho Transportation Department Performance Audit - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations

LEGISLATOR'S GUIDE:

• A Minnesota Lawmaker's Guide to the Agri-Environmental Policy Landscape - Minnesota House Research Department

POLICY GUIDE:

• Visioning Kentucky's Future: Measures and Milestones 2008 - Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center

PUBLIC POLICY - EDUCATION:

• Feasibility of School District Services Consolidation - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations
• Public Education Funding in Idaho - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations
• Emerging Global Workforce Raising Education Stakes: Children at the Economic Margins Key to  Sustaining Progress - Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center

 PUBLIC POLICY - ENVIRONMENTAL:

• Technical Evaluation of the Emissions and Control Costs of High Global Warming Potential Gases - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Environmental Analysis and Outcomes Division, etc.
• Biofuel Policies and Programs - Office of the Minnesota Legislative Auditor
• Carbon Sequestration Study - Montana Legislative Environmental Policy Office
• The Price of Flame - Montana Legislative Services Division

Special thanks to this year's judges:

• Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson, Montana Legislative Branch, Chair
• Sabah Eltareb, California State Library
• Kristin Ford, Idaho Legislative Library
• Ingrid Hernquist, New Jersey Legislative Services Library
• Elizabeth Lincoln, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

2008 Recipients

CITIZEN’S GUIDE:

• North Dakota Blue Book 2007-2008 - Alvin A. Jaeger, North Dakota Secretary of State

FISCAL MATTERS:

• 2008 General Session Appropriation and Budget Highlights - Utah State Legislature – Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst

INNOVATIVE STUDY:

• Voices from the Street:  A Survey of Homeless Youth by Their Peers - California Research Bureau, California State Library

LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED:    

• Criminal Records and Employment in Minnesota:  Report and Recommendations of the 2007 Collateral Sanctions Committee - Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission
• Indicators of Efficiency and Effectiveness - Kentucky Office of Education Accountability
• Virtual School Operations - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations

LEGISLATOR’S GUIDE:

• Quick Guide to Committee Procedures in the House of Representatives & Quick Guide to Floor Procedure - Louisiana House Legislative Services

 PUBLIC POLICY:

• Compensating Victims of Bridge Collapses Outside Minnesota - Minnesota Legislature, Senate Counsel

STATE COMPARISON:

• Waste Tire Recycling and Reuse in Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania General Assembly – Joint State Government Commission

2007 Recipients

CITIZEN’S GUIDE:

• Water Rights in Montana - Montana Legislative Environmental Quality Council

FISCAL SERIES:

• Profiles of Montana State Agencies - Montana Legislative Fiscal Division

LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED:

• Split Estates: The Relationship Between Surface and Minerals - Montana Legislative Environmental Quality Council

• Use of Average Daily Attendance in Public Education Funding - Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations

LEGISLATOR’S GUIDE:

• Tax Relief & Reform: What Does It Mean to Taxpayers? - Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

PUBLIC POLICY:

• Delaying Necessities, Denying Needs - New York State Assembly Committee on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation

• The Road to Privatization: Implications of Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Projects - Maryland General Assembly, Department of Legislative Services, Office of Policy Analysis

STATE COMPARISONS:

• An Overview of California’s Low Emission Vehicle Program and Efforts to Implement It in Maryland and Other States - Maryland General Assembly, Department of Legislative Services, Office of Policy Analysis
• The Road to Electric Restructuring in Maryland - Maryland General Assembly, Department of Legislative Services, Office of Policy Analysis

• Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson,  Montana Legislative Branch, Chair
• Carol Blackburn, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
• Sabah Eltareb, California State Library
• Kristin Ford, Idaho Legislative Library
• Ingrid Hernquist, New Jersey Legislative Services Library
• Elizabeth Lincoln, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

2006 Recipients

• Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson,  Montana Legislative Branch, Chair
• Carol Blackburn, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
• Sabah Eltareb, California State Library
• Kristin Ford, Idaho Legislative Library
• Ingrid Hernquist, New Jersey Legislative Services Library

2005 Recipients

2004 Recipients

• Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson, Montana Legislative Library, Chair
• Shirley Dallas, Washington State Library
• Penelope Dukes, Williams, Texas Legislative Reference Library
• Sabah Eltareb, California State Library
• Cathy Griffin, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records
• Ingrid Hernquist, New Jersey Office of Legislative Services Library

2003 Recipients

PUBLIC POLICY:

• Planning for the Future: Findings from Research on the Commonwealth's Current and Coming Retirees - Road Ahead: Uncertainty and Opportunity in a Changed World - Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center
• Nevada Natural Resources Status Report - Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

CITIZEN GUIDE:

• Electricity Law Handbook: A Montanan's Guide to Understanding Electricity - Montana Environmental Quality Council

LEGISLATORS' GUIDE:

• Understanding State Finances and the Budgeting Process: A Reference Manual for Legislators - Montana Legislative Fiscal Division
• Legislator's Handbook - Montana Legislative Services Division

SERIAL:

• Briefing Paper Series: Future of Highway Funding; Medicaid Spending; Controlling Costs: No Simple Solutions to Complex Issues; Senate Confirmation of Judicial Appointments; Tax Primer - Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel 

REDISTRICTING & REAPPORTIONMENT:

• Demographic Profile of Legislative Districts - Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel 

2002 Recipients

NOTABLE DOCUMENTS:

• Nuclear Waste Dry Cask Storage - Minnesota House of Representatives Research Dept
• Youth and the Law: A Guide for Legislators - Minnesota House of Representatives Research Dept
• State of Nebraska: 2001 Redistricting - Nebraska Legislative Research Division
• Energy Policy Issues and Legislative Options - Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

HONORABLE MENTION:

• Five Shoes Waiting to Drop on Arizona's Future - Morrison Institute for Public Policy, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University
• Driver Distractions and Traffic Safety - Pennsylvanai General Assembly Joint State Government Commission
• Tap the Power: Constitutional Highlights - Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau

OUTSTANDING PROACTIVE E-UPDATE SERVICE:

• Studies in the News - California Research Bureau
• OLR Updates -Connecticut Office of Legislative Research

SPECIAL CITATION FOR DEPTH OF ANALYSIS AND SPEED IN PRODUCING INFORMATION VITAL TO GOVERNMENT:

• Impact of the September 11 WTC Attack on NYC's Economy and Revenues -New York City Comptroller

CONSISTENTLY OUTSTANDING CORPUS OF WORK:

• Kentucky Legislative Research Commission:

1. CD-Roms: Acts of the General Assembly & Journal of the General Assembly
2. Kentucky General Assembly Membership 1900-2000
3. V1. 1900-1949 V2. 1950-2000
4. Executive Branch Contracting for Services: Inconsistent procedures limit accountability and efficiency
5. Impact Plus: Design of Medicaid - Funded Program for children with severe emotional disturbance results in rapidly growing expenditures and difficult policy choices

• Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center:

1. Challenges for the New Century: Trends that will influence KY's future
2. Foresight
3. Education and the Common Good: Social Benefits of Higher Education in KY.
4. Financing State and Local Government: Future challenges and opportunities
5. Listening to Kentucky High Schools: Why some high schools Miss, Meet, and Exceed Predicted Post Secondary Outcomes
6. Policy Notes: on issues of importance to KY's future
7. Talking Back: Kentucky High School students and their future education plans
    

2001 Recipients

GUIDES FOR MEMBERS

• Orientation Guide for Louisiana House Members, 2000-2004 Term - Louisiana House of Representatives
• Quick Guide to Floor Procedure in the Louisiana House of Representatives - Louisiana House of Representatives
• State and Local Government in Louisiana: An Overview, 2000-2004 Term - Louisiana House of Representatives

• Eminent Domain in Montana and Improving the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Process - Montana Legislative Environmental Policy Office
• Shock of the New:  Changes in the Generation, Transmission, and Distribution of Electricity in Montana - Montana Legislative Services Division, Lois Menzies, Executive Director
• Too Much, Too Little, Too Late: An Assembly Investigation of CONNECTIONS -New York's Statewide Child Welfare Computer System - New York Assembly Committee on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation

CITIZEN GUIDE

• When You Are Concerned: A Guide for Families Concerned About the Safety of an Older Driver - New York State Office for the Aging

• Deb Priest, New York Assembly Information Center, chair
• Robbie LaFleur, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
• Sabah Eltareb, California Research Bureau
• Cathy Griffin, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records

2000 Recipients

• Minnesota Budget: A Fiscal Policy Analysis - Minnesota State Senate, Office of Fiscal Policy Analysis
• Nevada State Water Plan - Nevada Division of Water Planning, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
• Positioning Arizona to Achieve Maximum Benefit from the Information Economy - Arizona Legislature, Joint Legislative Study Committee on the Internet

Serial Award:

• Ohio LBO Policy Briefs - Ohio Legislative Budget Office
• Session Weekly - Minnesota House of Representatives, Public Information Office

1999 Recipients

• Arizona Blue Book - Arizona Secretary of State
• Dilemma in the Millennium: Capital Needs of the World's Capital City - Comptroller of the City of New York
• Insurance Discrimination: Against Victims of Domestic Violence - Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Women's Law Project

Serial Award:

• Perspectives - New York State Assembly Committee on Ways and Means

URL Award:

• http://www.leginfo.state.sc.us/ - South Carolina Legislative Information Systems

Special Award for Consistently Outstanding and Comprehensive Quality of Publications:

• Montana Environmental Quality Council
• Texas Legislative Budget Board

1998 Recipients

LRL presented the second annual Notable Documents Awards at Annual Meeting. The selection committee was Deb Priest (NY), Cathy Griffin (AZ), Anne Craig (IL), Beth Furbush (MT) and Nancy Hays (TX). Documents submitted by legislative librarians were evaluated on subject matter, graphics, bibliographies, presentation and balance.  The award recognizes excellence in documents that explore contemporary topics of interest to legislators and staff by presenting substantive material in an outstanding format. 

Notable Documents:

• Arizona Legislative Manual -  Arizona Legislative Council
• Clean and Green -  Joint State Government Commission, Pennsylvania General Assembly
• Minnesota Data Book for Legislators -  Research Department, Minnesota House of Representatives

Notable URL Awards:

• Florida Monitor -  Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
• Feedlots and Links to the World - Minnesota Legislative Reference Library