FACTS AND ISSUES
Facts and Issues are white papers produced by a committee formed to study a proposed topic or issue and are discussed at unit meetings. A paper written on a position already adopted by the LWV Houston is an Update on Issues.
Privatization of Public Services
Download the PDF (61KB)
The Affordable Health Care Act - Update April 2011
One year after the Affordable Health Care Act was signed into law, the provisions have started to go into effect. Download the PDF (104KB) Update on the Affordable Health Care Act.
Redistricting Update
February 2011
A primer for understanding redistricting in 2011 in Texas provides an overview and references to useful resources. Download the PDF (132KB) Update on the Redistricting
Update on Human Trafficking
This update discusses human trafficking statistics to date, the Attorney General’s 2011 report on prevention of human trafficking in Texas, and legislation proposed to the 82nd Legislature.Download the PDF (140KB) Update on Human Trafficking.
Human Trafficking
March 2011
Houston is a hotspot for trafficking in persons. This overview provides an introduction to laws, law enforcement, and rescue and rehabilitation efforts.Download the PDF (456KB) Update on Human Trafficking.
Rick Casey interviewed League members involved in the study, his column appeared February 13, 2011. Read the pdf of his article. This is the link to listen to the KTET radio interview with the League members.
Coastal Issues September 2010
According to the Houston Audubon Society our coastal prairie consisted once of 6.5 million acres of tall grasses and wildflowers. Today it is estimated that there are now fewer than 65,000 acres.Download the PDF Update on the Coastal Issues (132KB)
Update on Juvenile Justice Reform in Harris County October 2010
The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) is a program that started in 1992. Harris County has participated since 2007, and has implemented a number of changes in the way juveniles in trouble with the law are assessed and treated in the legal system.Download the PDF Update on Update on Juvenile Justice Reform
(72KB)
Water Study–
Texas Water Resources as a Commodity
Study information now available.
- Facts and Issues: Should Water Be a Commodity?
- Consensus Report Form
- Leaders Guide
- Current LWV-TX Water Position
For more information on the Water Study, click here.
International
Arms Control
LWVUS adopted a position on arms control in 2010 in support of limiting and reducing weapons and nuclear testing, and advocating bilateral agreements.Download the PDF Update on the LWV US Position on Armscontrol.pdf
(36KB)
Update on Arms Control October 2010
LWV-HA issued an updated position on arms control with a discussion on the backround issues.Download the PDF Update on Arms Control
(67KB)
Update on Public Defender Study
(September 2010)
Harris County is beginning to implement the Public Defender Office
Download the PDF Update on the Public Defender Study
(67KB)
Update on
Texas Education
(August 2010)
Texas school systems are subject to accountability to measure students’ progress. One such measure is the Texas Projection Measure (TPM). As explained in the update, this is a statistical device that has turned students failing the TAKS tests into passing students. Also discussed here are student growth measures known by their acronyms TALS, TGI, VSG, and AYP. School budgets are affected by the jobs bill signed by President Obama in August. Other topics in the update are charter schools, magnet schools, the HISD extended school year, bond expenditures, and proposed legislation.
Download the PDF Update on Texas Education (303KB)
Update on
Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
This update discusses Transit Oriented Development (TOD), a coordination of planning for transportation systems and land use, specifically around transit stations, and how TOD might help Houston absorb expected population growth. Download the PDF Update on Transit Oriented Development (96KB)
Update on
Climate Change 2010
This update paper reviews the impacts of global warming and concludes that global warming is real and that the correlation between global temperature
and carbon dioxide concentration is very high, possibly taking hundreds of
years to recover. Download the PDF Update on Climate Change 2010 (1.4MB)
Facts and Issues: Public Defender Study for Harris County (October 2009)
The study reviews and evaluates: federal and state law regarding indigent defense, principles and criteria for defense delivery systems, approaches to indigent defense, and perspectives on whether the creation of a PDO would benefit Harris County.
Download the PDO Facts Issues Oct. 2009 Pdf (164KB)
Update on Issues: Ethics in Local Government
LWV HA studied Ethics in Local Government in 2007. This update paper is an overview of the proposals adopted by the Ethics Reform Task Force established by Judge Ed Emmett in March 2008 and approved by the Harris County Commissioners in June 2009.
Download the Ethics Update from September 2009 Pdf (48KB).
You can find past issues to read here. Download the pdf.
Global Hunger (Jan. 2010)
Air Quality and Climate Change (Update Apr. 2009 & LWVUS 2008)
Coastal Building Codes (Mar. 2009)
Education (Feb. 2009)
U.S. Immigration - Where Do We Stand (January 2009)
Homeowner Associations (Oct. 2008)
Increasing Voter Participation (Apr. 2008)