New Arrivals at the Legislative Library
Missouri State Capitol
February 2008
1. Orr, Carolyn. "Iowa looks for fresh approach to controlling livestock odor." CSG Stateline Midwest, February 2008, Vol. 17, No. 2, p. 6. (Iowa is considering a $22.7 million, five-year plan to use current and experimental technologies to control odors at hog confinement operations.)
CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES
2. Children's ombudsman offices. Denver: National Conference of State Legislatures, February 2008, 4 p. (About 60 percent of the states have ombudsman/child advocate offices.) VF : Child Welfare
3. Gever, Matthew. "WV to use SCHIP administrative funds to screen children; a 'central fill' pharmacy." NCSL State Health Notes, February 19, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 509, p. 5-7. (Uninsured kindergartners can undergo comprehensive wellness screenings in West Virginia's Kids First program. Another initiative will provide free, donated prescription drugs to uninsureds whose income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.)
4. Savage, Melissa and Anne Teigen. "Most precious cargo." State Legislatures, March 2008, Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 32-33. (Every state has some form of child-restraint law. Missouri is one of 13 states to qualify for federal grants in FY2007 by enacting and enforcing a law regarding the use of booster seats.)
5. Spencer, Anna C. "BadgerCare gets a makeover." NCSL State Health Notes, February 19, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 509, p. 4-5. (Wisconsin's BadgerCare program expects to provide affordable coverage to all children and eligible adults, with 185,000 formerly uninsured people expected to be enrolled.)
6. Wolke, Anna. "SCHIP steers through turbulent waters." NCSL State Health Notes, February 19, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 509, p. 1-3. (Several states filed suit to challenge a federal directive that limits states' ability to expand SCHIP to children in families with incomes above 250 percent of the federal poverty line.)
COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA
7. Boerner, Robert D. and Ashley M. Nichols. "Regulating telecommunications tower siting." NCSL Legisbrief, February 2008, Vol. 16, No. 11, 2 p. (States use varying methods to regular tower siting. Most states allow localities to make zoning and land-use decisions.) VF : Public Utilities – Regulation
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
8. Gever, Matthew. "Preventing recidivism by providing a pill." NCSL State Health Notes, February 4, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 508, p. 3-4. (New Mexico is considering legislation to create an opiate-addiction treatment program for released female prisoners.)
COURTS
9. The Missouri court system : an assessment. Chicago : American Bar Association, Standing Committee on Judicial Independence, State Court Assessment Project, February 11, 2006, 87 p. (The Missouri courts were rated within the areas of: qualifications, experience, diversity; judicial powers; financial resources; structural safeguards; accountability, transparency; community needs, expectations; and efficiency. The system received 24 positive ratings, eight mixed ratings, two negative ratings.) VF : Missouri – Courts
CRIME & CRIMINAL JUSTICE
10. Katel, Peter. "Fighting crime : Can inner-city crime be significantly reduced?" CQ Researcher, Feb. 8, 2008, Vol. 18, No. 6, p. 121-144. (America's violent-crime rate has dropped steadily since 1991. The communities with the biggest increases in violent crime from 2005 to 2006 were small cities – Bismarck, N.D., Lawrence, Kan., Springfield, Mo., Ames, Iowa – whose meth and gang problems grew.)
11. King, Ryan S. The state of sentencing 2007 : developments in policy and practice. Washington, D.C. : The Sentencing Project, January 2008, 26 p. ("Tough on crime" policies are giving way to concerns about effective use of resources to maximize public safety. Key legislation from 2007 is noted.) VF : Sentencing
DRUGS & DRUG TESTING
8. Gever, Matthew. "Preventing recidivism by providing a pill." NCSL State Health Notes, February 4, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 508, p. 3-4. (New Mexico is considering legislation to create an opiate-addiction treatment program for released female prisoners.)
12. Mertz, Kory. "E-prescribing missives from the front." NCSL State Health Notes, February 4, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 508, p. 4-5. (E-prescribing is seen as a key way to reduce medication errors, saving lives and money.)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
13. Hamilton-Pennell, Christine. "Public libraries and community economic development : partnering for success." Rural Research Report, Winter 2008, Vol. 18, No. 10, 8 p. (Public libraries can be catalysts for downtown development and can also provide useful assistance to entrepreneurs. Specific examples are given.)
EDUCATION
14. Badolato, Vincent. "Dual enrollment : opportunities and risks." NCSL Legisbrief, March 2008, Vol. 16, No. 14, 2 p. (Offering college-credit courses to high-school students is a way to keep students motivated. Financing dual-enrollment programs can be complex.) VF : Education – Elementary & Secondary
15. Bell, Julie Davis and Vincent Badolato. "Textbook turmoil." State Legislatures, February 2008, Vol. 34, No. 2, p. 26-29. (The U.S. Public Interest Research Group is leading a push for legislation to regulate the costs of college textbooks.)
16. Billiterri, Thomas J. "Discipline in schools : Are zero-tolerance policies fair?" CQ Researcher, Feb. 15, 2008, Vol. 18, No. 7, p. 145-168. (Zero-tolerance discipline policies, which rely heavily on suspension or expulsion, are under scrutiny. A chart shows the demographics of bullying among students ages 12-18.)
17. Cech, Scott A. "World grows smaller, IB gets big." State Legislatures, February 2008, Vol. 34, No. 2, p. 20-24. (The International Baccalaureate Organization, based in Geneva, Switzerland, offers primary, middle and high school programs to 819 enrolled U.S. schools, up from 88 in 1997. Emphasizing critical-thinking skills to prepare students for the global economy, the curriculum stresses research papers and oral presentations.
Ed. Clemmitt, Marcia. "Reading crisis? Do today's youth read less than past generations?" CQ Researcher, Feb. 22, 2008, Vol. 18, No. 8, p. 169-192. (Surveys reveal that students' reading is down from a generation ago, but it's possible that today's young people may not identify themselves as readers and writers even when they read and write daily.)
18. Dusenberry, Mary Branham. "Military moves." State News, February 2008, Vol. 51, No. 2, p. 19-23. (The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children aims to make school transfers easier for students whose parents serve in the military and move frequently.)
19. Clemmitt, Marcia. "Student aid : Will many low-income students be left out?" CQ Researcher, Jan. 25, 2008, Vol. 18, No. 4, p. 73-96. (Loans and merit-based grants are the fastest-growing forms of college aid, raising questions about opportunities for low-income, minority and immigrant students.)
20. Driscoll, Lisa G. and Richard G. Salmon. "How increased state equalization aid resulted in greater disparities : an unexpected consequence for the commonwealth of Virginia." Journal of Education Finance, Winter 2008, Vol. 33, No. 3, p. 238-261. (When Virginia increased funding for education through its equalization formula, many localities used the aid increases as local tax relief.)
21. Franklin, Sarah E. "‘Moment of silence’ laws are common – and controversial." LRU First Reading, January 2008, Vol. 21, No. 2, p. 1. (Two-thirds of the states allow or require a moment of silence in each school day. Illinois' mandatory provision is being challenged in court.)
22. Goldhaber, Dan, et al. "Why do so few public school districts use merit pay?" Journal of Education Finance, Winter 2008, Vol. 33, No. 3, p. 262-289. (Districts will be more likely to use merit pay when they have more performance information about teachers and when teachers' union influence is weaker.)
23. Knoeppel, Robert C., et al. "What is the relationship between resources and student achievement? A canonical analysis." Journal of Education Finance, Fall 2007, Vol. 33, No. 2, p. 183-202. (Critical variables for student achievement include teacher compensation and early intervention for poor children.)
24. Miller, William H., et al. "School performance measurement : politics and equity." The American Review of Public Administration, March 2008, Vol. 38, No. 1, p. 100-117. (Performance measures are evaluated regarding their impact on public schools in Arkansas where enrollment is majority African American.)
25. Missouri salary schedule and benefits report 2007-08. Columbia, Mo. : Missouri State Teachers Association, 2008, 53 p. (Maximum and minimum salaries for bachelor's and master's degrees are shown for 520 of Missouri's 524 public school districts. Additional tables show fringe benefits.) Ref 2842.4.M5
26. Mutz, John M. "Higher ed challenge." State Legislatures, February 2008, Vol. 34, No. 2, p. 15-17. (Mutz, who is a former legislator and lieutenant governor in Indiana, points out ways current legislators can make higher education more efficient.)
27. Sluder, Richard D., et al. Opening and operating charter schools : the Kansas City experience. Warrensburg, Mo. : College of Education & Human Services, Central Missouri State University, 2001, 193 p. (The 11 charter schools affiliated with Central Missouri State University in 2001 are profiled. Currently the University of Central Missouri sponsors nine charter schools in the Kansas City area.) LB2806.36
28. "State takeovers and reconstitutions." ECS Policy Brief, March 2004, 19 p. (The report includes summaries of state takeovers of school districts and statutory and code references for takeovers and reconstitutions of low-performing schools.) VF : Schools – Governance
29. Stone, Diana. Funding the future : states' approaches to pre-k finance, 2008 update. Washington, D.C. : Washington Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest, February 2008, 20 p. (A handful of states have no state-funded pre-k program. Sources of state funds include general revenue, lottery or gaming revenues and tobacco taxes. A current trend is to include pre-k in school funding formulas.) VF : Education – Early Childhood
30. Vitaska, Sara. "Mayoral-appointed school boards." NCSL Legisbrief, February 2008, Vol. 16, No. 9, 2 p. (At least 10 states allow mayors some authority to manage school districts. See Item 32 for research on the effectiveness of mayoral-led school districts.) VF : Schools – Governance
31. Wall, Andrew, et al. "Examining a higher education funding formula in a time of shifting currents : Kentucky's benchmark approach." Journal of Education Finance, Winter 2008, Vol. 33, No. 3, p. 221-237. (Kentucky uses a benchmark funding formula for base appropriations, along with some performance-based elements. The authors recommend ways to improve the formula funding model.)
32. Wong, Kenneth K. and Francis X. Shen. When mayors lead urban schools : Toward developing a framework to assess the effects of mayoral takeover of urban districts. Harvard University : School Board Politics Conference, October 15-17, 2003, 52 p. (The authors report that mayoral takeover seems to be increasingly related to federal revenue sources. They find no evidence that such takeover leaves the worst schools behind.) VF Schools – Governance
EMPLOYERS & EMPLOYEES
33. Fronstin, Paul. "The future of employment-based health benefits : Have employers reached a tipping point?" EBRI Issue Brief No. 312, December 2007, 20 p. (It's debatable whether employers have reached a point where they foresee a fundamental change in health benefits for active employees but the tipping point for benefits for retired employees was reached in the mid-1990s.) VF : Employees – Benefits
34. Kolman, Joe "It's time to telework." State Legislatures, March 2008, Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 16-17+. (Jobs best suited to working from home include writing, reading, analysis, programming, data entry and telephoning. Managers need to be able to gauge employees by results, not by direct supervision.)
ENERGY
35. Andersen, Glen. "The first fuel." State Legislatures, March 2008, Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 12-15. (The "first fuel" is energy efficiency, or doing the same amount of work with less energy. Buildings consume half of the total energy used in the U.S. and well-designed, energy-efficient buildings save energy and provide quieter, more comfortable surroundings.)
36. DeCesaro, Jennifer. "Here comes the sun : state policies help solar energy take off." State News, February 2008, Vol. 51, No. 2, p. 31-33. (Renewable energy is the source of 7 percent of the nation's electricity and solar is only 1 percent of that. Arizona and Oregon are leading the way to expand use of solar power.)
37. Williams, Jeremy. Landfill gas to fuel. Atlanta : Southern Legislative Conference/Council of State Governments, January 2008, 23 p. (There are 61 landfill gas-to-fuel projects underway in the American South, including five in Missouri.) VF : Energy – Synthetic Fuels
ENVIRONMENT
38. Cohen, Rona. "Paper vs. Plastic." State News, February 2008, Vol. 51, No. 2, p. 15-18. (Mandatory recycling collection bins, biodegradable plastic bags, fees for bag use – states and localities use varied approaches to reduce dependence on petroleum-based plastic bags.)
39. Morandi, Larry. "Competing for water : not just out West anymore." NCSL Legisbrief, March 2008, Vol. 16, No. 13, 2 p. (From coast to coast water use needs are attracting the attention of state legislatures.) VF : Water Resources
1. Orr, Carolyn. "Iowa looks for fresh approach to controlling livestock odor." CSG Stateline Midwest, February 2008, Vol. 17, No. 2, p. 6. (Iowa is considering a $22.7 million, five-year plan to use current and experimental technologies to control odors at hog confinement operations.)
40. Pakko, Michael R. "Clearing the haze? New evidence on the economic impact of smoking bans." The Regional Economist, January 2008, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 10-11. (A recent study finds that the economic effects of smoking bans vary, depending on whether the ban is statewide or local. There is a sidebar on Columbia's smoking ban.)
41. Wetterich, Chris. "Smoke-free." Illinois Issues, February 2008, Vol. 34, No. 2, p. 21-24. (Tax revenues didn't fall for six Illinois cities that enacted local indoor smoking bans.)
FINANCE & REVENUE
42. Boyd, Donald J. and Lucy Dadayan. "What will happen to state government finances in a recession?" Rockefeller Institute Fiscal Report, January 30, 2008, 27 p. (Recessions vary in depth, duration and regional impact. A short, mild recession might have little impact on the national economy but a deeper downturn could result in state staff reductions and other spending cuts.) VF : State Finance & Revenue
GAMBLING
43. "States hooked on slots." Statenet Capitol Journal, February 4, 2008, Vol. 16, No. 3 ,p. 6-7. (Slot machines are legal in 37 states, with about one slot or video poker game in operation for every 395 residents.)
44. "Vt., other states weigh privately run state lotteries." AP article, Feb. 17, 2008, 3 p. (Gov. Jim Douglas of Vermont is another gubernatorial proponent of leasing his state's lottery to a private concern. Douglas says the goal is to have a more innovative, successful lottery.) VF : Gambling
HEALTH, WELFARE & SOCIAL SERVICES
45. Clark, Korey. "In-store clinics : the future of health care?" Statenet Capitol Journal, February 4, 2008, Vol. 16, No. 3, p. 1-6 (Medical clinics operating in retail stores and staffed by nurse practitioners are a growth industry. Users like the convenience and insurers like the lower costs. Physician groups are concerned about the physical setting, the lack of relationship between patient and provider, and quality of care.)
3. Gever, Matthew. "WV to use SCHIP administrative funds to screen children; a 'central fill' pharmacy." NCSL State Health Notes, February 19, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 509, p. 5-7. (Uninsured kindergartners can undergo comprehensive wellness screenings in West Virginia's Kids First program. Another initiative will provide free, donated prescription drugs to uninsureds whose income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.)
46. Hansen, Melissa and Laura Tobler. "Community health workers." NCSL Legisbrief, February 2008, Vol. 16, No. 7, 2 p. (Community health workers are non-clinical public health workers who act as facilitators, educators and advocates for those who traditionally lack access to adequate care.) VF : Health Manpower
5. Spencer, Anna C. "BadgerCare gets a makeover." NCSL State Health Notes, February 19, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 509, p. 4-5. (Wisconsin's BadgerCare program expects to provide affordable coverage to all children and eligible adults, with 185,000 formerly uninsured people expected to be enrolled.)
47. Walters, Jonathan. "Is welfare working?" Governing, February 2008, Vol. 21, No. 5, p. 28-33. (Since TANF began 12 years ago, welfare caseloads have dropped 50-90 percent but costs for food stamps, Medicaid and other safety-net programs are on the rise.)
6. Wolke, Anna. "SCHIP steers through turbulent waters." NCSL State Health Notes, February 19, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 509, p. 1-3. (Several states filed suit to challenge a federal directive that limits states' ability to expand SCHIP to children in families with incomes above 250 percent of the federal poverty line.)
HOUSING
48. Grossman, Ilene. "State policies aim to fight rise in home foreclosure rates." CSG Stateline Midwest, February 2008, Vol. 17, No. 2, p. 5. (Of the 10 states with the highest foreclosure rates, four are in the Midwest. Counseling is a key component of legislation regarding first-time buyers using subprime loans.)
IMMIGRATION
49. Ehisen, Rich. "Will immigration crackdown have business backlash?" Statenet Capitol Journal, February 11, 2008, Vol. 16, No. 4, p. 1-5. (Strict laws in Oklahoma and Arizona on the hiring of illegal immigrants are driving those workers to other states. A lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Oklahoma law claims that "piecemeal efforts" on the hiring of unauthorized workers are unconstitutional.)
50. Greenblatt, Alan. "Immigration debate : Can politicians find a way to curb illegal immigration?" CQ Researcher, Feb. 1, 2008, Vol. 18, No. 5, p. 91-120. (Charts show immigration trends. So far, Congress has found it impossible to curb the number of immigrants without causing labor shortages in key economic sectors, such as agriculture and hospitality.)
51. Morse, Ann and Dirk Hegen. "Immigration enforcement in the workplace." NCSL Legisbrief, March 2008, Vol. 16, No. 18, 2 p. (2007 was a big year for immigration and employment legislation.) VF : Immigration
INSURANCE
52. 2008 State legislators' guide to health insurance solutions. Washington, D.C. : American Legislative Exchange Council, 2008, 60 p. (ALEC's Council for Affordable Health Insurance summarizes various issues about health insurance and offers some solutions.) VF : Insurance – Health
MOTOR VEHICLES
53. Hake, Alana C. "The states, a plate, and the First Amendment : the 'Choose Life' specialty license plate as government speech." Washington University Law Review, 2007, Vol. 85, No. 2, p. 409-456. (The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear cases on the "Choose Life" license plate controversy. Lower courts have grappled with the questions of whose speech is represented by the message and whether a state should be bound to "viewpoint neutrality.")
54. Hedlund, James. Improving traffic safety culture in the United States : the journey forward. Washington, D.C. : AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, December 2007, 11 p. (Hedlund summarizes 22 papers commissioned by AAA to recommend changes in the nation's traffic-safety culture. The most important behavioral change would be for drivers to obey all traffic laws and be considerate of other road users. To view the 22 studies [388 pages], visit www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/SafetyCultureReport.pdf ) VF : Traffic Safety
55. Savage, Melissa. "Primary seat belt laws." NCSL Legisbrief, March 2008, Vol. 16, No. 16, 2 p. (The author says the best way to increase seat-belt use is through a primary seat-belt law, something 26 states have. Statistics support this claim.) VF : Motor Vehicles – Restraints
4. Savage, Melissa and Anne Teigen. "Most precious cargo." State Legislatures, March 2008, Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 32-33. (Every state has some form of child-restraint law. Missouri is one of 13 states to qualify for federal grants in FY2007 by enacting and enforcing a law regarding the use of booster seats.)
56. State of the states report. Washington, D.C. : AAA, December 2007, 23 p. (This snapshot of traffic safety policy activity looks at child passenger safety, distracted driving, graduated licensing, senior mobility, truck safety, drunken driving, aggressive driving, gas taxes, helmets, "move over" laws, occupant protection and red-light cameras.) VF : Traffic Safety
57. 2008 State of the states. Washington, D.C. : AAA, December 2007, 2 p. (The 50-state charts shows the presence of laws concerning graduated licensing, child passenger safety, occupant restraint and distracted driving.) VF : Traffic Safety
PENSIONS & RETIREMENT
58. Ford, William. 2006 comparative study of major public employee retirement systems. Madison, Wis. : Wisconsin Legislative Council, December 2007, 36 p. (This biennial study includes data on early retirement provisions, contribution rates, post-retirement annuity increases and actuarial information.) VF : Public Employee Retirement Systems
STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
21. Franklin, Sarah E. "‘Moment of silence’ laws are common – and controversial." LRU First Reading, January 2008, Vol. 21, No. 2, p. 1. (Two-thirds of the states allow or require a moment of silence in each school day. Illinois' mandatory provision is being challenged in court.)
59. Kerns, Peggy and Luke Martel. "Dual employment : regulating public sector jobs for legislators." NCSL Legisbrief, February 2008, Vol. 16, No. 10, 2 p. (Missouri is one of nine states to prohibit state legislators from holding any publicly funded job at the state or local level.) VF : Legislators
60. Kerns, Peggy and Luke Martel. "Ethics committees : internal oversight of ethics laws." NCSL Legisbrief, March 2008, Vol. 16, No. 15, 2 p. (State approaches to ethics oversight are summarized.) VF : Ethics – Code of
61. Kolman, Joe. "Looking back for the future." State Legislatures, February 2008, Vol. 34, No. 2, p. 30-33. (The Idaho Capitol will be closed for renovations for the next two legislative sessions. Utah recently finished a $275-million Capitol project and Minnesota is considering a renovation project that could last until 2017.)
62. Schneider, Kathryn. "Questions arise about role of legislative oversight committee." CSG Stateline Midwest, February 2008, Vol. 17, No. 2, p. 3. (Gov. Rod Blagojevich's decision to go ahead with a health-care expansion that had been rejected by the Illinois General Assembly's Joint Committee on Legislative Rules is the subject of a lawsuit filed by a coalition of business owners.)
STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS
63. "It's broke. Fix it." State Policy Reports, January 2008, Vol. 26, No. 1, p. 2-6. (Problems in the state-federal relationship include the Real ID Act of 2005, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and other unfunded mandates.)
TAXATION
64. Girthoffer, Garner. "Electronic commerce." NCSL Legisbrief, February 2008, Vol. 16, No. 12, 2 p. (An update on the Streamlined Sales Tax project is included. Missouri is not one of the 22 states that have adopted it.) VF : Sales Tax
65. 2008 All states tax handbook. New York : Thomson/ Research Institute of America, 2008, 414 p. (Tax charts and calendars cover income, sales and use, property, unemployment insurance and other taxes for all 50 states.) Ref KF6735 .A93
TOBACCO
40. Pakko, Michael R. "Clearing the haze? New evidence on the economic impact of smoking bans." The Regional Economist, January 2008, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 10-11. (A recent study finds that the economic effects of smoking bans vary, depending on whether the ban is statewide or local. There is a sidebar on Columbia's smoking ban.)
TOURISM
66. CanagaRetna, Sujit M. Lights! Camera! Action! : Southern state efforts to attract filmmakers' business. Atlanta : Southern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments, June 2007, 35 p. (State efforts to attract movie and television industry projects within their borders are noted.) VF : Tourism
TRANSPORTATION
66. Billitteri, Thomas J. "Mass transit boom : Do new systems boost ridership, relieve congestion?" CQ Researcher, Jan. 18, 2008, Vol. 18, No. 3, p. 49-72. (Transit system mileage has increased since 1985. Driving to work alone in your own car is still the most popular form of commuting, however.)
67. Reed, James B. "The state surface transportation funding crisis." NCSL Legisbrief, February 2008, Vol. 16, No. 8, 2 p.(State gas taxes have lost as much of 50 percent of their purchasing power in the last decade. Some transportation funding trends are noted.) VF : Transportation
68. Savage, Melissa A., et al. "Traffic safety and public health : state legislative action 2007." NCSL Transportation Series, December 2007, No. 32, 65 p. (Traffic safety bills considered in 2007 are summarized by category, such as aggressive driving, distracted driving, school bus safety and speed limits. Considerable space is also devoted to 50-state charts on current laws, including licensing of older drivers, riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks and safety belt/child restraint use.)
VETERANS
69. Anderson, Tim. "Welcome home : New state policies aim to help veterans and honor their service." CSG Firstline Midwest, January 2008, Vol. 15, No. 1, 4 p. (The Midwest has been the home of many new state initiatives designed to help veterans. Examples of state legislation, proposed or enacted, are given.)
|
