1853 - "Governor Bigler organized a military company to capture Murietta and his gang of marauding outlaws. On August 29, 1853, Governor Bigler paid Captain Love the $1,000 reward money with a Comptroller's Warrant and then mustered the State Rangers out of service. On May 28, 1854, the State Legislature decided that the members of the State Rangers had not been sufficiently rewarded for their services so voted to pay them an additional $5,000. "  http://www.militarymuseum.org/CaliforniaStateRange  

August 1853 - "To protect the citizens of Los Angeles from frequent raids by outlaws, a volunteer militia company, known as the Los Angeles Rangers, was organized in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County August 1, 1853, under the command of Captain Hope. This unit was composed of sixty active members and by their splendid cooperation with the civil authorities, there was a sharp decrease in the number of crimes committed in that region. "  History of Los Angeles County p. 126  

Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

• When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

• Items in the State Library collection can be checked out to state officials and staff.

• Access to all materials listed will be provided by the State Information Reference Center, either by e-mail to cslsirc@library.ca.gov or by calling 654-0261.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

AUDITS AND INVESTIGATIONS

Report to Congress on Implementation of Section 1001 of the USA PATRIOT Act. By the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice (The Office, Washington, DC) July 17, 2003. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/03-07/final.pdf

["Section 1001 of the Patriot Act directs the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to undertake a series of actions related to claims of civil rights or civil liberties violations allegedly committed by DOJ employees. It also requires the OIG to provide semiannual reports to Congress on the implementation of the OIG’s responsibilities under Section 1001. This report – the third since enactment of the legislation – summarizes the OIG’s Patriot Act-related activities from December 16, 2002, through June 15, 2003."]

[Request #S8861]

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Correctional Boot Camps: Lessons From a Decade of Research. By the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice (The Institute, Washington, DC) June 2003. 17 p.

Full Text at: www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/197018.pdf

["The studies of boot camps produced mixed results: Participants reported positive short-term changes in attitudes and behaviors; With few exceptions, these positive changes did not lead to reduced recidivism; and under a narrow set of conditions, boot camps can lead to small relative reductions in prison populations and correctional costs. This Research for Practice reports on 10 years of data analyzing the success or failure of correctional boot camps to meet these goals."]

[Request #S8862]

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Promising Strategies From the Field. By the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice (The Office, Washington, DC) 2003.

["The summary of case studies highlights the projects of 11 law enforcement agencies who found innovative uses for COPS funding.... COPS grants not only help reduce violent crime, they also help law enforcement address persistent quality of life issues."]

National Overview. 58 p.
www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Open=True&Item=815

Spotlight on Sheriffs. 41 p.
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=816

[Request #S8863]

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People v. Sanders. California Supreme Court. S094088. July 31, 2003. 45 p.

Full Text at: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S094088.PDF

["As a general condition of avoiding custody or being released early, parolees and probationers are required to waive their Fourth Amendment right to be free from warrantless searches and seizure for months or years. The justices ruled that, while officers can undertake warrantless searches on known probationers and parolees, such searches are illegal if officers only learn of the convict's status following the search." Sacramento Bee (August 1, 2003) A6.]

[Request #S8864]

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Prisoners in 2002. By Paige M. Harrison and Alan J. Beck, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. (The Department, Washington, DC) July 2003. 14 p.

Full Text at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/p02.pdf

["The nation's prison population grew 2.6 percent last year, the largest increase since 1999, according to a study.... The growth in the prison population last year ... was a result of the continuing effect of strict sentencing laws passed in the 1990's." Sacramento Bee (July 28, 2003) A6.]

[Request #S8865]

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CULTURE AND SOCIETY

AMERICAN INDIANS

American Indian / Alaska Native Children in the Child Welfare Service Program. By California Department of Social Services, Research and Development Division. (The Division, Sacramento, California) 2003. 34 p.

Full Text at: www.dss.cahwnet.gov/research/res/PDF/AmIndianYr2000.PDF

["This report indicates that there were similarities between American Indian children and other children in areas such as referral types, age, and gender distribution, reasons for removal from home and adoption rates. Areas where there were a difference included a higher referral rate and higher poverty rate for American Indian children. In addition, a slightly higher percentage of American Indian children were placed in out-of-home care but a slightly lower percentage of American Indian children exited out-of-home care to reunify with their parents."]

[Request #S8866]

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A Review of the Research Literature on the Influences of Culturally Based Education on the Academic Performance of Native American Students. By William G. Demmert, Jr. and others, Northwest Regional Education Laboratory. (The Laboratory, Portland, Oregon) 2003. 142 p.

Full Text at: www.nwrel.org/indianed/cbe.pdf

["One of the major tasks facing Native American communities is to create lifelong learning opportunities that allow all the members to improve their quality of life, and to meet their tribal responsibilities through meaningful contributions to the local, national, and world communities in which they live and interact. The greatest educational challenge for many is to build learning environments that allow each of their young children to obtain an education that 'creates good people that are knowledgeable and wise.'"]

[Request #S8867]

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S. 575: A Bill to Amend the Native American Language Act To Provide For the Support Of Native American Language Schools, and Other Purposes. 108th Congress, 1st Session. March 7, 2003.

Full Text at: frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_bills&docid=f:s575is.txt.pdf

["(S. 575) seeks to provide support for American Indians and other indigenous language 'survival' schools.... It is designed to only support existing schools and will probably have its biggest impact in Hawaii, where the island's indigenous language is taught in many schools.... This is not to say that it will not affect California tribes at all. Hinton says that existing programs, such as the one at Pechanga will benefit from this legislation." Indian Country Today (July 16, 2003) [online].

[Request #S8868]

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Written Statement On S. 575, A Bill To Amend The Native American Languages Act. Presented to The Senate Indian Affairs Committee. By John W. Clark. (The Author, Washington, DC) May 15, 2003. 6 p.

Full Text at: indian.senate.gov/2003hrgs/051503hrg/cheek.PDF

["To American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians, our languages are synonymous with cultural identity. Without language there is no way to communicate and pass on the values and teachings from elders to tribal youth. Sadly, many tribal groups have already lost their language."]

[Request #S8869]

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ECONOMY

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Music Downloading, File-sharing and Copyright: Pew Internet Project Data Memo. By Mary Madden and others, Pew Internet and American Life Project. (The Project, Washington, DC) July 2003. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Copyright_Memo.pdf

["The struggle to enforce copyright laws in the digital age continues to be an uphill battle for content owners. Data ... shows that a striking 67% of internet users who download music say they do not care about whether the music they have downloaded is copyrighted. A little over a quarter of these music downloaders 27% say they do care, and 6% said they don't have a position or know enough about the issue."]

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"Disaster Plans Get New Scrutiny After Blackout." By John Schwartz. IN: New York Times. (August 19, 2003) C1. And "Internet Survives Power Failure." By NEWS.com. IN: New York Times Online (August 14, 2003) 1.

["The geographic dispersion of this event really causes some rethinking for companies.... Many companies that tried to manage their own disaster recovery plans found that the backup site they had created was still within the blackout area.... Internet performance tracker Keynote Systems said the outage has not slowed the Internet. 'At this time the Internet is performing normally and major Web sites in the U.S. are also performing normally, although a few of the news Web sites are showing slightly longer download times,' Keynote spokesman Dan Berkowitz wrote in an e-mail."

Disaster Plans. 1 p.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/19/technology/19BACK.html

Internet Survives. 1 p.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/14/technology/14POWE-NET.html?

[Request #S8871]

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The Beige Book: Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions. By Federal Reserve District. (The District, Washington, DC) July 30, 2003. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.federalreserve.gov/FOMC/BeigeBook/2003/20030730/FullReport.htm

["America's economy, which has been poking along, displayed fresh signs of gaining a bit of momentum in June and the first half of July, the Federal Reserve said in its latest snapshot of business activity around the country. Most of the Federal Reserve's 12 districts that were surveyed suggested they were experiencing stronger growth.... There were a few exceptions, however. Three districts -- Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco -- characterized economic activity as sluggish." San Francisco Chronicle (July 31, 2003) B1.]

[Request #S8873]

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Possible Anticompetitive Barriers to E-Commerce: Wine. By the Staff of the Federal Trade Commission. (The Commission, Washington, DC) July 2003.

[“A federal report saying that state bans on Internet wine sales hurt consumers and don't prevent underage drinking has encouraged House members who represent California's wine areas in their uphill fight to overturn such laws. The report found that state bans on direct shipments raise wine prices as much as 21 percent.… Congress has been embroiled in the issue for many years. It's a fight that pits the wineries against the powerful liquor wholesalers industry, which opposes direct shipments.” San Francisco Chronicle (July 8, 2003) A4.]

Press release. 4 p.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/07/wine.htm

Report. 139 p.
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/07/winereport2.pdf

[Request #S8874]

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EDUCATION

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Apples to Apples: An Evaluation of Charter Schools Serving General Student Populations. By Jay P. Greene and others, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. (The Institute, New York, New York) July 2003. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.manhattan-institute.org/ewp_01.pdf

["Despite consistent financial shortcomings and hefty reliance on inexperienced teachers, charter school students often do better academically than their traditional counterparts, a national study has found." New York Times (July 20, 2003) 24.]

[Request #S8876]

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Catching the Wave: Lessons From California's Charter Schools. By Nelson Smith, New American Schools. (Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, DC) July 2003. 36 p.

Full Text at: www.ppionline.org/documents/CA_Charters_0703.pdf

["Despite rapid growth and promising outcomes, California's charter schools continue to face a variety of obstacles. The state's charter law is generally strong, but leaves far too much control in the hands of local school districts, while providing too little guidance on how they should approve and oversee charter schools. Charter schools in California also face substantial funding inequities, and despite passage of Proposition 39, finding adequate financing and space for charter facilities will remain challenging."]

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Rankings and Estimates: Rankings of the States 2002 and Estimates of School Statistics 2003. By National Education Association. (The Association, Annapolis Junction, Maryland) 2003. 123 p.

Full Text at: www.nea.org/edstats/images/03rankings.pdf

["Critical investments in U.S. public schools remain stagnant, according to a state-by-state report.... The report ... paints a difficult funding picture for public education nationwide.... The report also states that during the last 10 years, teacher salaries have remained flat." School Planning and Management (June 1, 2003) 1086-4628.]

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How California Ranks: The State's Expenditures for K-12 Education. By EdSource. (EdSource, Palo Alto, California) August 2003. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.edsource.org/pdf/RankingsFinal03.pdf

["California's national ranking on expenditures for public schools slipped from 27th in 2000-01 to and estimated 35th in 2001-02.... This, however is a considerable increase from the lowest ranking of 41st in 1996-97."]

[Request #S8878]

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Data Systems to Enhance Teacher Quality. By Richard A. Voorhees and Gary T. Barnes. (State Higher Education Executive Officers, Denver, Colorado) July 2003. 48 p.

Full Text at: www.sheeo.org/quality/data%20sys.pdf

["Getting better data on the teaching profession is critical to helping states improve policies for developing a qualified teaching workforce -- but measuring the qualifications, preparation, and career paths of potential teachers, and identifying turnover and recruitment patterns and the supply and demand of teacher talent is difficult to do. This monograph examines data systems in 14 states to help policy makers identify the information they need to improve teacher quality, and how they can get it." Connect for Kids (August 11, 2003).]

[Request #S8880]

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No Child Left Behind Act: More Information Would Help States Determine Which Teachers Are Highly Qualified. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-03-537T. (The Office, Washington, DC) July 2003. 48 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d03631.pdf

["The NEA, pointing to a recent General Accounting Office report to Congress, says the new law will require states to spend an estimated $1.9 billion to $5.3 billion of their own money to implement its testing requirements through 2008." Washington Times (July 4, 2003) A11.]

[Request #S8881]

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Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Challenge: Secretary's Annual Report on Teacher Quality. By the U.S. Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. (The Department, Washington, DC) June 2003. 95 p.

Full Text at: www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/News/teacherprep/Title-II-Report.pdf

["A shortage of qualified teachers for many years has forced public elementary and secondary schools to have about half their English, science, mathematics, history and foreign-language classes taught by teachers who majored in other subjects.... Teacher colleges must align their programs with requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to meet the mandate for highly qualified teachers in all classrooms by 2006." Washington Times (July 16, 2003) A6.]

[Request #S8882]

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ENERGY

ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY

"System's Crash Was Predicted." By Peter Behr. IN: The Washington Post (August 15, 2003) A1

["The warning from David Cook, general counsel for the nation's electric reliability organization, was stark: 'The question is not whether, but when, the next major failure of the grid will occur.' Cook was speaking to Congress two years ago, and his prediction came crashingly true in what may have been the largest power blackout in history."]

Washington Post. 1 p.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61117-2003Aug15.html

Cook testimony. 14 p.
ftp://www.nerc.com/pub/sys/all_updl/docs/testimony/House-Energy-and-Air-Quality-NERC-testimony-101001.pdf

[Request #S8883]

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Renewable Energy and State Economies. By Barry Hopkins. Trends Alert. (Council of State Governments, Lexington, Kentucky) 2003. 48 p.

Full Text at: www.csg.org/CSG/Products/trends+alerts/default.htm

{"Several states have instituted a range of initiatives and legislative changes to promote renewable energy in order to capture the wide range of potential benefits. Of these potential benefits, the direct economic incentives of stimulating local economies, job creation and increased revenue generation have helped fuel states' interest in renewables."]

[Request #S8884]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

BEACHES

Testing the Waters 2003 : A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches. By the Natural Resources Defense Council. (The Council, Washington, DC) August 2003.

["Sewage spills and polluted runoff forced the closing of California's beaches more than 4,500 times last year, with three dozen beaches remaining off limits to swimmers for three months or more because of high bacteria counts, according to a report.... The council said tighter controls on sewage overflows and polluted runoff are needed if the nation is to reduce the more than 12,000 closings and advisories for bacteria and other pathogens that have been linked by scientists to ear infections and respiratory and stomach illnesses." Los Angeles Times (August 13, 2003) B.6.]

Report. Various pagings.
http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/titinx.asp

California Summary. 30 p.
http://www2.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/sumcal.pdf

[Request #S8886]

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Coastal Development Permit Application: Consolidated Staff Report. By the Staff of the California Coastal Commission. (The Commission, San Francisco, California) July 24, 2003. 12 p.

Full Text at: www.coastal.ca.gov/energy/Th10a-10b-8-2003.pdf

["The state agency in charge of California's coasts has approved the Long Beach Water Department's plan for a pilot desalination plant.... As a condition of approval, department officials agreed to several changes to reduce the plant's effect on coastal resources.... The Long Beach project is the largest federally authorized sea water desalination research project in the nation, department officials said." Associated Press (Augsust 7, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8887]

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Seawater Desalination and the California Coastal Act: Draft Report. By the California Coastal Commission. (The Commission, San Francisco, California) August 2003. 55 p.

Full Text at: www.coastal.ca.gov/energy/Th9b-8-2003.pdf

["The California Coastal Commission warns that allowing desalination plants to proliferate could threaten marine life, spur development in sensitive habitats and turn what has long been considered a common good -- the ocean -- into a commodity.... The report says desalination poses risks to marine life because it can trap plants and small sea creatures while drawing in water, and it releases large amounts of salt back into the ocean.... The commission's board of directors will review the report. A 60-day public comment period will follow." Oakland Tribune (August 11, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8891]

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Application of the Northwest Forest Plan in National Forests in California. By Jack Ward Thomas, University of Montana. Prepared for the Pacific Southwest Region, USDA Forest Service. (The Service, Vallejo, California) July 25, 2003. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.fs.fed.us/r5/nwfp/plans/nwfpapp.shtml#appendix

["'So much protection has been afforded to owls and salmon that logging in national forests like the Klamath and the Shasta-Trinity have ground nearly to a halt,' said Jack Blackwell, the U.S. Forest Service's regional forester.... Assisting the review was Jack Ward Thomas, a Clinton-era Forest Service chief who led the scientific work that preceded development of the final plan. Thomas said the Northwest plan was 'overcome by events,' including lawsuits, and that the Forest Service has failed to implement the vision of the scientists who developed the plan." Contra Costa Times (August 6, 2003) F4.]

[Request #S8888]

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Water Wars. By the Council of State Governments. Trends Alert. (The Council, Lexington, Kentucky) July 2003. 25 p.

Full Text at: www.csg.org/CSG/Products/trends+alerts/default.htm

["States are suing the federal government. States are suing each other. Cities and rural communities are at odds. What is the source of all this controversy? Water rights.... The water wars have spread to the Midwest, East and South as well."]

[Request #S8890]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

FEDERAL / STATE RELATIONS

California’s Balance of Payments with the Federal Treasury, Fiscal Years 1981-2002: California Institute Special Report. By The California Institute for Federal Policy Research. (The Institute, Washington, DC) 2003. Various pagings.

["In 2002, Californians sent in excess of $58 billion more to Washington in federal taxes than the state received back in federal spending. Fueled largely by a sharp increase in its tax burden relative to other states, the Golden State’s imbalance set another record for any state, surpassing the previous mark (set also by California, in 2001) of $47 billion. There are two primary reasons why Californians pay more federal taxes than the state receives back in spending. First, the state’s above-average income yields above-average federal income tax receipts. Second, California’s population is significantly younger than average, with fewer recipients of Social Security and Medicare payments."]

Report:
http://www.calinst.org/pubs/balrpt02.htm
Table of federal expenditures by California county:
http://www.calinst.org/pubs/balrpt02.htm

[Request #S8894]

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Federal Funds: The State of California Takes Advantage of Available Federal Grants, but Budget Constraints and Other Issues Keep it From Maximizing This Resource. By Bureau of State Audits, California State Auditor. (The Bureau, Sacramento, California) August 2003. 58 p.

Full Text at: www.bsa.ca.gov/bsa/pdfs/2002-123.2.pdf

["The Report finds that budget constraints and other factors hinder the state's ability to maximize its share of certain grants .... Among other factors cited which limit California's share of federal grants are the state's inability to provide matching funds and the state's failure to obligate the funds in a timely fashion."]

[Request #S8895]

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State Budget and Tax Actions: Preliminary Report: Executive Summary. By the National Conference of State Legislatures. (The NCSL, Washington, D. C.) July 23, 2003. 16 p.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/programs/fiscal/presbta03.pdf

["These are the highlights of the ... annual survey on recent state budget and tax actions.... Budget information is provided for ... 43 states.... Tax information is provided for 42 states."]

[Request #S8897]

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Analysis of an Electronic Voting System. By Aviel Rubin, John Hopkins University, and others. (The Authors, Baltimore, Maryland) July 23, 2003. 24 p.

Full Text at: avirubin.com/vote.pdf

["Touch-screen voting systems being installed in Los Angeles County and much of the nation are prone to tampering and fraud and pose a grave danger to democratic elections, according to computer scientists at Johns Hopkins and Rice Universities.... Los Angeles County officials said they have not had enough time to study the report or the response by Diebold to decide whether to go forward with plans to spend $100 million to purchase the Diebold systems for use in the November 2005 election." Daily News of Los Angeles (August 3, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8898]

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Securing the Vote: An Analysis of Election Fraud. By Lori Minnite and David Callahan, Demos: A Network of Ideas and Action. (Demos, New York, New York) 2003. 43 p.

Full Text at: www.demos-usa.org/demos/pubs/Securing_The_Vote.pdf

["Election fraud is a hotly contested topic in public debates about electoral reform. Debates over election fraud are not new. They have been a staple part of discussion about elections and democracy in the United States for more than a century. But in recent years, issues of fraud and voting integrity have increasing come to the forefront of public policy discussions over the health of America's democracy."]

[Request #S8899]

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HEALTH

HEALTH CARE

FY 2005 FMAPs: Revision and Perspectives. By Federal Funds Information for States. FFIS Issue Brief, 03-39. (FFIS, Washington, DC) August 6, 2003. 9 p.

["Revised quarterly personal income data for calendar year 2002 are expected to be the last to be released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis this year... New data shows 18 states will receive increased FMAPs and 19 states will experience declines... Shifts will result in a net increase of $167 million in 2005 Medicaid spending."]

[Request #S8900]

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Preserving Recent Progress on Health Coverage for Children and Families: New Tensions Emerge: A 50 State Update on Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal and Cost-Sharing Practices in Medicaid and SCHIP. By Donna Cohen Ross and Laura Cox, Center on Budget Policies and Priorities. Prepared for the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. (The Center, Washington, DC) July 2003. 81 p.

Full Text at: www.kff.org/content/2003/4125/4125.pdf

["Despite serious state budget shortfalls, the Kaiser Commission reports that health coverage programs for low-income children were protected from severe cuts in most states -- but momentum to simplify enrollment procedures to reach more children has started to reverse, and several states were forced to cut efforts to expand parental eligibility." Connect for Kids (August 4, 2003)1.]

[Request #S8901]

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California's Emergency Departments: Do They Contribute to Hospital Profitability? By California Health Foundation. (The Foundation, Oakland, California) July 2003. 6 p.

Full Text at: www.chcf.org/documents/providersystems/EmergDeptProfitability.pdf

["California's emergency departments may lose money, but they generate profit for their hospitals for those patients who are admitted and need further care, according to a study.... According to the study ... emergency departments in 2002 lost an average of $84 per patient treated and discharged, but they generated an average profit of $1,220 for each patient that had to be admitted for additional care." San Francisco Chronicle (July 24, 2003) B1.]

[Request #S8902]

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Legislature Considers Proposals to Cover the Uninsured. By California Budget Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California) August 2003. 11 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/2003/bb030807LegUninsured.pdf

["Approximately 6.7 million Californians under the age of 65 lacked health insurance during 2001. Although this was below the 1998 peak of 7.3 million, 21.3 percent of the state's non-elderly residents remain uninsured in 2001."]

[Request #S8903]

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2002 California Workers' Compensation Losses and Expenses. By the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California. (The Bureau, San Francisco, California) 2003. 34 p.

Full Text at: wcirbonline.org/index2.asp?section=5&subsection=0&content=wcirb_wire/2003/2003_18.asp

["Chiropractic care is one of the costliest and fastest-growing components of California's workers' compensation system.... Last year, insurer payments to chiropractors totaled $235 million, nearly double the level of five years earlier.... In contrast to other states that have capped chiropractic visits or require a gatekeeper to approve usage, California has no limits on the frequency or duration of treatment. It's also one of the few states that allow chiropractors to be an injured worker's primary treating physician." Los Angeles Times (August 17, 2003) [online].]

[Request #S8904]

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Medicaid Formula: Differences in Funding Ability Among States Oftern Are Widened. By U.S. General Accounting Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) July 2003. 51 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-620

["A primary goal in establishing Medicaid's statutory formula, whereby states with lower per capita incomes receive higher rates of federal reimbursement from program costs was to narrow differences among states and their ability to fund Medicaid services.... Although the receipt of federal matching aid moves 30 states closer to the national average ... it also moves 21 states farther away."]

[Request #S8905]

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"The New Medicaid Drug Entitlement's Huge New Tax on Working Americans." By Brian M. Rieal and William W. Beach. IN: Backgrounder, vol. 1673 (July 2003) pp. 1-6.

Full Text at: www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=46892

["The prescription-drug benefit Congress is creating for seniors would result in substantial long-term tax increases, according to a new study.... The two researchers found that the drug benefit would add $2 trillion to the projected $5 trillion shortfall Medicare will face in 2030 and will cost, on average, 40-year-old heads of households an extra $16,127 in taxes between now and the time they retire." Washington Post (August 5, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8906]

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Caught In Between: Prescription Drug Coverage Of Medicare Beneficiaries Near Poverty. By Dennis G. Shea and others. (Commonwealth Fund, Washington, DC) August 2003. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.cmwf.org/programs/medfutur/shea_caughtinbetween_ib_669.pdf

["Beneficiaries too poor to buy their own prescription drugs or private insurance, but not eligible for welfare assistance, would get minimal relief from the ... legislation before Congress.... People just above the federal poverty line, currently at $12,120 for a couple, 'are in danger of being overlooked.'" Sacramento Bee (August 16, 2003) A7.]

[Request #S8907]

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HOUSING

COMMUNITY PLANNNING

Shopping the City: Real Estate Finance and Urban Retail Development. By Kenneth T. Rosen and others, The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy. (The Institution, Washington, DC) July 2003. 32 p.

Full Text at: www.brookings.edu/es/urban/publications/20030722_Rosen.pdf

["Despite the increase in real estate financing instruments over the past decade, inner city retail development has lagged in all but a select few cities. Indeed, even though new methods of financing have led to more liquid markets with potentially a broader appetite for risk, developers and their financial backers have continued to pursue projects primarily in top-tier cities and suburbs."]

[Request #S8908]

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Homeownership in a Bubble: The Fast Path to Poverty? By Dean Baker and Simone Baribeau, Center for Economic and Policy Research. (The Center, Washington, DC) August 13, 2003. 11 p.

Full Text at: www.cepr.net/Homeownership_in_a_Bubble.PDF

["The bubble in home sale prices not only impacts high-income individuals looking to buy a house, but could also have a devastating impact on low- and middle-income individuals that buy into the housing market at the bubble's height. Efforts by the government or non-profit organizations to promote homeownership in this environment could prove counter-productive, as families may see wealth accumulated through years of sacrifice disappear quickly with the bursting of a housing bubble. While homeownership may still be a desirable goal for moderate income families, in many areas they may be best served by delaying their plans until real estate prices have returned to more normal levels."]

[Request #S8909]

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Drouet v. San Francisco Superior Court. California Supreme Court. S096161. August 11, 2003. Various pagings

Full Text at: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S096161.PDF

["A divided California Supreme Court strengthened the state's controversial Ellis Act, ruling that landlords are free to evict tenants -- for whatever reason -- as long as the property owners intend to take their buildings off the rental market.... State law generally protects tenants from retaliation if they complain about their rental units.... Tenants' groups, which have been unsuccessful in persuading state lawmakers to limit the Ellis Act, now will urge the Legislature to strengthen the retaliatory eviction laws." San Francisco Chronicle (August 12, 2003) A13.]

[Request #S8910]

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HUMAN SERVICES

CHILD CARE

Welfare Dollars No Longer an Increasing Source of Child Care Funding: Use of Funds in FY 2002 Unchanged From FY 2001, Down From FY 2000. By Jennifer Mezey and Brooke Richie, Center for Law and Social Policy. (The Center, Washington, DC) August 6, 2003. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1059656252.76/2002_TANF_CC.pdf

["After growing steadily from FY 1997 through FY 2000, state use of TANF for child care declined in FY 2001. New data ... indicate that state use of TANF for child care essentially remained flat from FY 2001 through FY 2002. Furthermore, TANF might soon become a declining source of child care funding, in light of dwindling or exhausted reserves of prior year TANF funds and increases in cash assistance caseloads in many states. This analysis concludes that states need additional dedicated child care funding to prevent low-income families from losing their child care assistance due to state budget crises, declining TANF availability, and potentially costly and underfunded welfare work requirements."]

[Request #S8911]

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Supporting Healthy Marriage and Strengthening Relationships of Unwed Parents: Technical Assistance Available. By Barbara Devaney and others. (Mathematica Policy Research, Princeton, New Jersey) August 2003. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/bsfisbr2.pdf

["This brief details the technical assistance services available to state and local organizations interested in developing services for unwed couples who are expecting or have just had a child. The project team can help organizations plan a program, select a curriculum on marriage and relationship skills, add other components of the program model, and provide guidance for implementation and operational issues."]

[Request #S8912]

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Food Stamp Participation Jumps in April 2003 to More Than 21.2 Million Persons; Is More Than 4.35 Million Persons Higher Than in July 2000. By the Food Research and Action Center (The Center, Washington, DC) July 3, 2003. 1 p.

Full Text at: www.frac.org/html/news/fsp/03apr.html

["Participation in the Food Stamp Program in April 2003 increased by 220,683 persons from the previous month, to 21,239,873 persons, according to FRAC's analysis of preliminary monthly data from USDA. The April 2003 level of Food Stamp Program participation represented a rise of almost 2.1 million persons compared to the April 2002 level, almost 4.1 million persons compared to April 2001, and more than 4.35 million since July 2000."]

[Request #S8914]

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Input on Improving Federal Child Welfare Financing Mechanisms. By Rutledge Q. Hutson, Center for Law and Social Policy. Prepared for the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care. (The Center, Washington, DC) August 1, 2003. 6 p.

Full Text at: www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1060005808.84/Pew_finance.pdf

["The new Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care is developing recommendations to improve federal financing mechanisms in ways that facilitate faster movement of children from foster care into safe, permanent families and reduce the need to place children in foster care. This memo encourages the Commission to begin by considering a set of questions about the fundamental purposes and goals of the child welfare system. It is hoped that such a big picture analysis will suggest the value of expanding Title IV-E eligibility to cover all children and all child welfare services. The memo also makes recommendations about immediate steps Congress can take, while the Commission deliberates about a broader vision. These interim steps will begin to strengthen the child welfare system’s ability to meet the needs of maltreated children."]

[Request #S8915]

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TRANSPORTATION

AUTOMOBILE SAFETY

Distractions in Everyday Driving. By Jane Stutts and others, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (The Foundation, Washington, DC) June 2003. 104 p.

Full Text at: www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/DistractionsInEverydayDriving.pdf

["Chomping on a cheeseburger, yelling at a child in the backseat or putting on makeup are far more common distractions for drivers than yakking on a cell phone, according to a study.... Well down the list -- behind eating and drinking, grooming, dealing with a child or other passenger, and reading or writing -- was using a cell phone. That distraction was practiced by 30 percent of those videotaped." San Francisco Chronicle (August 7, 2003) 5.]

[Request #S8917]

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The Mobility Needs of Older Americans: Implications for Transportation Reauthorization. By Sandra Rosenbloom, Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy. (The Center, Washington, DC) 2003. 20 p.

Full Text at: www.brookings.edu/es/urban/publications/20030807_Rosenbloom.pdf

["By 2030, the number of older Americans will more than double, 9 million alone will be over age 85. Almost all of those seniors will have been licensed drivers for most of their lives.... Seniors in the future will be even more dependent on the car than today's elderly.... To address both the mobility needs of the elderly and the important societal problems to which they contribute, we must refocus and redirect a wide range of public policies to respond to the complicated opportunities and constraints older people face today."]

[Request #S8918]

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WASHINGTON READER

Federal Actions Affecting States. By the Federal Funds Information for States. (FFIS, Washington, DC) August 2003. 4 p.

[Includes: "Senate Passes Energy, Supplemental and SCHIP in Advance of August Recess;" "HAVA Election Commission Remains Unempaneled;" "Senate EPW Committee Approves First Responders Authorization;" "Head Start Action in the Senate;" and others.]

[Request #S8913]

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California Capitol Hill Bulletin. By the California Institute for Federal Policy Research. Volume 10, Bulletin 23. (The Institute, Washington, DC) August 15, 2003. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.calinst.org/bulletins/b1023pdf.

[Includes: "House Californians Call For Continuing Low Emissions Program;" "Medicaid Formula Study Highlights Inequities in State Funding Rates, With California At Disadvantage;" "California Institute Releases Updated "Balance of Payments" Report;" "Water Market Issues Examined in New PPIC Report;" "State Auditor Examines California's Share of Federal Grants;" and others.]

[Request #S8916]

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[The following studies, reports, and documents have been ordered or requested, but have not yet arrived. Requests may be placed, and copies will be provided when the material arrives.]

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

AFRICAN AMERICANS

The State of Black America. By the National Urban League. (The League, Washington, DC) 2003.

["Black families' gain in income and education are being undermined -- at least to some degree -- by rising incarceration rates and a persistent unemployment gap compared with whites." Associated Press (July 21, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8919]

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HEALTH

HEALTH CARE

America's Health Care Economy. By Ross DeVol and Rob Koepp, Milken Institute. (The Institute, Santa Monica, California) August 2003.

["This study examines the potential impact of the growing health-care sector on regional economies. According to the authors, cities and regions with the greatest health-care resources could be big economic winners in the decades ahead. Why? People are living longer, the elderly population is growing, and demands for better health care are pushing new innovations in medicine. That makes for vibrant local economies, according to this report."]

[Request #S8920]

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HEALTH CARE POLICY

Policy Matters: Setting and Measuring Benchmarks for State Policies; Healthy Families: Recommendations for State Policies. By the Center for the Study of Social Policy. (The Center, Washington, DC) July 2003. 66 p.

["This paper presents a framework for policies and policy benchmarks aimed at enhancing the health of families. The framework aims to foster state-level strategic thinking about policies that help famlies thrive physically and mentally and contributes to a national consensus on policy directions for promoting the health of children and families." NOTE: Policy Matters ... will be available for 3-day loan.]

[Request #S8921]

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INSURANCE

Hidden Costs, Value Lost: Uninsurance in America. By the Board on Health Care Services, Institute of Medicine. (National Academies Press, Washington, DC) 2003. 191 p.

Full Text at: books.nap.edu/books/030908931X/html/index.html

["This report tallies some of the most clearly identifiable economic and social costs of uninsurance, as described in the Committee's previous four reports. The Committee concludes that maintaining an uninsured population of 41 million results in a substantial loss of economic value that improved health would provide uninsured individuals."]

[Request #S8922]

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