May 1853 - "On May 11, 1853, California Governor John Bigler signed a legislative act authorizing the organization of a band of California Rangers under the command of Captain Harry Love. Their purpose, to capture or kill a 'party or gang of robbers commanded by the five Joaquins,' specified as Joaquin Botellier, Joaquin Carrillo, Joaquin Murieta, Joaquin Ocomorenia, and Joaquin Valenzuela. These men were believed to be responsible for the majority of all cattle rustling, robberies, and murders perpetrated in the Mother Lode region of California since 1850. "  www.geocities.com/greyno1457/OldWestQuestionsAndAn  

May 1853 - "On May 28, 1853, in Quartsburg, Mariposa County, Captain Love organized the California State Rangers. This company was composed of twenty men all of whom had served under Captain Love in the Mexican War…. [A year later] 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. "  www.militarymuseum.org/CaliforniaStateRangers.html  

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

CRIME STATISTICS

Crimes Committed Against Homeless Persons: Special Report To The Legislature On Senate Resolution 18. By Pamela R. Malory, Criminal Justice Statistics Center, California Department of Justice. (The Department, Sacramento, California) 2003. 8 p.

Full Text at: caag.state.ca.us/cjsc/publications/misc/SR18net/preface.pdf

["The study consisted of a comprehensive literature review and interviews with 162 participants (105 homeless persons, 25 advocates of homeless persons, 17 law enforcement officers, and 15 prosecutors from seven Northern California cities.... Data from the present study indicated that 66% of homeless participants stated that they were victimized in 2001.... The majority of victims were either assaulted or robbed."]

[Request #S8056]

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Policing Privacy: Law Enforcement's Response to Identity Theft. By Jennette Gayer, California Public Interest Research Group. (The Group, Sacramento, California) May 2003. 23 p.

Full Text at: calpirg.org/reports/policingprivacy2003.pdf

["The report summarizes interviews CALPIRG Education Fund held with law enforcement officers.... More than 85% of officers responding felt that credit lenders should meet stricter requirements to ensure that credit is not extended to identity thieves.... The findings may provide additional guidance to policymakers seeking to provide new legal and administrative tools to those whose job it is to tackle this quickly evolving field of consumer fraud."]

[Request #S8057]

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Demore, District Director, San Francisco District of Immigration and Naturalization Service, et al. v. Kim. U.S. Supreme Court. 01-1491. April 29, 2003. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02pdf/01-1491.pdf

["Supreme Court Backs Detention for Immigrants: In a case arising out of California ... the court's conservative majority upheld aggressive detention powers granted by Congress in 1996.... More broadly, the ruling grants federal authorities a stronger hand in confronting a growing caseload. The United States deported 14,475 immigrants on the basis of their criminal records in 1991. By 2001, that number had increased to 39,900. Sacramento Bee (April 30, 2003) A8.]

[Request #S8058]

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Response to the Board of Supervisors Regarding SFPD's Patterns of Witholding Information Requested for OCC Investigations. By the Office of Citizen Complaints. (The Office, San Francisco, California) April 23, 2003. 83 p.

Full Text at: www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/occ/reports/2003/OCCreport.pdf

["The San Francisco Police Department impedes investigations into complaints from the public and fails to discipline officers in sustained cases of misconduct, according to a report from a civilian-run watchdog agency. The Office of Citizen Complaints reported that the department has withheld requested documents such as incident reports and use of force logs for a year or more, even in serious cases involving the deaths of suspects in custody and shootings by police." San Francisco Chronicle (April 24, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8059]

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CULTURE AND SOCIETY

AFRICAN AMERICANS

The Black Population in the United States: March 2002. By the United States Census Bureau. (The Bureau, Washington, DC) April 2003. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-541.pdf

["This report presents data on the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the Black population in the United States.... the topics covered are geographic distribution; age, sex, and marital status distribution; family type and family size; educational attainment; labor force participation and unemployment; occupation; family income; and poverty status."]

[Request #S8060]

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ECONOMY

AGRICULTURE

Role of NAFTA in California Agriculture: A Brief Review. By Henrich Brunke and Daniel A. Sumner, Agricultural Issues Center, University of California, Davis. AIC Issues Brief Number 21. (The Center, Davis, California) 2003.

Full Text at: aic.ucdavis.edu/pub/briefs/brief21.pdf

["Our aim in this research was to review the reduction of trade barriers that constitute NAFTA and examine how changes in trade flows relate to these reductions in trade barriers.... We also examined agricultural prices and incomes and considered how they have been influenced by the changing trade flows following the policy changes under NAFTA over the past few years."]

[Request #S8061]

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State Bar of California: Although It Reasonably Sets and Manages Mandatory Fees, It Faces Potential Deficits in the Future and Needs to More Strictly Enforce Disciplinary Policies and Procedures. By the California Auditor, Bureau of State Audits. 2002-030. (The Bureau, Sacramento, California) April 2003. 43 p..

Full Text at: www.bsa.ca.gov/bsa/summaries/2002-030.html

["The State Bar of California continues to make some improvements since our audit in 2001.... However, the State Bar needs to ... ensure that policies and procedures for processing disciplinary cases are being followed [and] monitor its need for an increase in membership fees to avoid a potential deficit in its General Fund in the future."]

[Request #S8062]

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Information Technology and Internet Laws: 2002. By Jo Anne Bourquard and others, National Conference of State Legislatures. Information Technology Series. (NCSL, Denver, Colorado) 2003. 13 p.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/standcomm/sctech/sctech.htm

["This report summarizes key information technology issue areas and new laws adopted by the states in 2002. Issues are grouped into four major areas: crime and justice, electronic commerce, electronic government, and Internet and electronic mail."]

[Request #S8064]

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Illinois ex rel. Madigan, Attorney General of Illinois v. Telemarketing Associates, Inc. et al. U.S. Supreme Court. 01-1806. May 5, 2003. 28 p.

Full Text at: www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02pdf/01-1806.pdf

["Telemarketers can be prosecuted for fraud if they deliberately mislead donors into wrongly believing most of their contribution will go to charity, the Supreme Court ruled.... The 9-0 ruling makes it easier for states to go after private fund-raisers who solicit money for charity but keep most of it for themselves." Los Angeles Times (May 5, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8066]

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Telecommunications Laws: 2002. By Robert D. Boerner, National Conference of State Legislatures. Information Policy and Technology Series. (NCSL, Denver, Colorado) 2003. 11 p.

Full Text at: ww.ncsl.org/stndcomm/sctech/sctech.htm

["At least 30 states have statutes that require telemarketers to cease calling individuals who have placed their names on 'no call' or 'do not call' lists.... Electronic surveillance was another significant issue addressed in the state legislatures in 2002.... Appendix [lists] bill citations to 2002 legislation."]

[Request #S8067]

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EDUCATION

EDUCATIONAL TESTING

Independent Evaluation of the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE): AB 1609 Study Report. By Lauress L. Wise and others, Human Resources Research Organization. Prepared for California Department of Education (The Department, Sacramento, California) May 1, 2003.

["The State's Do-or-die High School Exit Exam has prompted school districts throughout California to align their curriculums with the state's academic content standards and to provide remedial help to students in need according to an independent evaluation. But many members of the class of 2004 - the first to required to pass the exam to graduate - likely will fail because their schooling has not adequately prepared them for it, the study said." the Sacramento Bee (May 2, 2003) A3.]

Vol. I. 116 p.:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/cahsee/eval/AB1609/volume1.pdf
Vol. II. 184 p.:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/cahsee/eval/AB1609/volume2.pdf

[Request #S8068]

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Higher Expectations: Second In a Series Of Essays On The Future Of Higher Education. By The National Governors Association High Expectations Series. (The Association, Washington, DC) 2003. 46 p.

Full Text at: www.nga.org/cda/files/041503highered.pdf

["NGA's higher education initiative ... is helping state chief executives and their advisors identify postsecondary policies that respond to the information economy's voracious demands for educated workers and good ideas. Over the next 20 years, analysts predict that the economy will require 12 million additional people with some postsecondary education." Change (March 1, 2003) 24.]

[Request #S8070]

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Adult Education: Will It Meet the Challenges of the Future? By the Senate Office of Research (The Office, Sacramento, California) April 2003. 16 p.

Full Text at: www.sen.ca.gov/sor/reports/REPORTS_BY_SUBJ/EDUCATION/ADULTEDREPORT.PDF

["This paper looks at... the adult education system's history, governance, and funding; the growing demand for its services; the individuals served by the system and their needs; issues facing adult education; and policy options for the future."]

[Request #S8071]

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Leave No School Behind: Educational Inequality and the Importance of Protecting Oakland's "Flatlands" Schools From Teacher Layoffs. By Oakland ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) and UCLA/IDEA (Institute for Democracy, Education and Access.) (ACORN, Oakland, California) April 2003. 18 p.

Full Text at: www.acorn.org/acorn10/betterschools/BetterSchoolsReports/lnsb.pdf

["This first report examines the distribution of qualified, experienced teachers between schools located in the "Flatlands" and the rest of the OUSD. The ACORN neighborhood schools total twenty-four, or roughly 1/5th of all OUSD schools. These Flatlands schools serve a substantially higher percentage of low-income students than other schools in OUSD. Some initial estimates, based on telephone surveys to school sites, indicate that over 50% of the teachers in Flatlands schools received layoff notices while in the more affluent "hills" schools the number was only 30%."]

[Request #S8073]

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EMPLOYMENT

RETIREMENT

Retirement Income: Intergenerational Comparisons of Wealth and Future Income. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-03-429. (The Office, Washington, DC) April 25, 2003. 85 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d03429.pdf

["The Social Security trust funds are projected to become exhausted in 2042 ... Pension coverage has remained at about 50 percent of the workforce for decades ... An increasing share of the responsibility for providing for one's retirement income has shifted from the employer to the employee. Finally, workers today are saving a smaller proportion of their income than earlier generations did."]

[Request #S8074]

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The 2003 Retirement Confidence Survey: Summary of Findings. By Retirement Confidence Survey. (RCS,Washington, DC) 2003. 10 p.

Full Text at: www.ebri.org/rcs/2003/03rcssof.pdf

["Three years of stock market losses have caused savings to shrivel and spurred legions of workers to delay retierment. This year one-quarter, 24% of workers age 45 or older say they plan to postpone their retirement -- up from 15% in 2002.... And 16% of workers say they are not at all confident that they will have enough money saved for retirement -- up from 10% a year ago." USA Today (April 11, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8075]

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ENERGY

UTILITIES

2003 Summer Assessment. By the California Independent System Operator. (The Operator, Sacramento, California) April 11, 2003. 54 p.

Full Text at: www.caiso.com/docs/2003/04/25/200304251431521744.pdf

["Californians can expect to avoid blackouts again this summer, though conserving electricity remains a good idea, the managers of the state's power grid said.... 'We should be able to meet the demand for energy with no trouble -- barring unforeseen circumstances,' said ISO Vice President Jim Detmers. Those circumstances, however, could include the loss of power plants or transmission lines at the same time heat waves boost energy demand." Contra Costa Times (April 25, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8077]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

AIR POLLUTION

State of the Air: 2003. By the American Lung Association. (The Association, New York, New York) 2003. 65 p.

Full Text at: www.californialung.org/downloads/sota03_ca.pdf

["For the fourth year running, the Los Angeles-Orange County-Riverside region was found to have the smoggiest air in the country, according to a new report. Each year the lung association issues a report on the toll ozone places on the population's ability to breathe. It is based on Environmental Protection Agency data. Counties are assigned grades `A' through `F,' based on how often air quality crosses health standards. From 1999 to 2001, the report says, California had nine of the 10 most polluted counties in the country, including the top five: San Bernardino, Fresno, Kern, Tulare and Riverside." Long Beach Press-Telegram (May 1, 2003) A1.]

[Request #S8078]

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The Economics of Climate Change: A Primer. By The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (The Office, Washington, DC) April 2003. 78 p.

Full Text at: www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=4171&sequence=0

["This study draws from numerous published sources to summarize the current state of climate science and provide an conceptual framework for addressing climate change as an economic problem. It also examines public policy options and discusses the potential complications and benefits of international coordination."]

[Request #S8082]

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The Gaviota Coast Resource Study. By EDAW, Inc. Prepared For the County of Santa Barbara, Planning and Development Department. (The County, Santa Barbara, California) June 2002. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.countyofsb.org/plandev/comp/planareas/gaviota/res_study/default.html

["The Study ... is designed to inventory the diversity, quantity and quality of resources located on the Gaviota Coast and assist in the long-term planning effort for the area.... The purpose of this report is to serve as an informational document and planning tool for the public, decision-makers, and County staff as they face difficult land-use decisions for this unique coastal area, now and in the future."]

[Request #S8079]

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Gaviota Coast Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment: Draft. By the National Park Service. (The Service, Oakland, California) April 2003. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.nps.gov/pwro/gaviota/draftreport.htm

["The National Park Service has prepared the Gaviota Coast Feasibility Study to determine whether ... a 76-mile stretch of coastal watersheds in Santa Barbara County, from Coal Oil Point to Point Sal, including Vandenberg Air Force Base ... is suitable or feasible for designation as a unit of the National Park System."]

[Request #S8080]

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Heather Dolin, et al. v. Safeway Incorporated. King County Superior Court, Washington. Class Action Complaint. April 23, 2003. 15 p.

Full Text at: www.smithandlowney.com/salmon/complaints/complaint2.pdf

["There's fishy business involving farmed salmon in the nation's three largest grocery chains, according to allegations in a new lawsuit. Albertson's, Safeway and Kroger are failing to tell consumers that the commercially grown salmon for sale at fish counters gets its vibrant pink color from artificial additives.... The plaintiffs are asking for compensation for past purchases, civil penalties and a judge's order that the chains add labels." San Francisco Chronicle (April 24, 2003) A17.]

[Request #S8081]

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The State Role in Urban Land Redevelopment. By Nancey Green Leigh, Georgia Institute of Technology. (The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, Washington, DC) April 2003. 52 p.

Full Text at: www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/es/urban/publications/leighvacant.pdf

["This paper reports the results of an extensive survey of state legislative and program initiatives that can boost cities' efforts to redevelop vacant and abandoned properties."]

[Request #S8092]

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Orange County Water District Cuts Back Groundwater Use: Press Release. By the Orange County Water District. (The District, Fountain Valley, California) April 25, 2003. 1 p.

Full Text at: www.ocwd.com/_html/_print/_print_pr03/print_pr03_0425_gwtruse.htm

["Water regulators slashed the amount that can be pumped from the county's underground drinking-water supply, part of an effort to reverse a steep groundwater decline. The board also voted to raise the fee that cities and water agencies must pay to draw from the deep aquifer. The action could drive water rates up an estimated 10 percent in many cities in northern and central Orange County, though those effects won't be felt right away and depend on whether cities decide individually to increase rates." Orange County Register (Aprile 24, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8084]

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Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West. By the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. (The Department, Washington, DC) May 2, 2003.

["The new report identifies the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the northern San Joaquin Valley as a combined region where it is 'highly likely' there will be future conflict over water.... The administration steered clear of explicitly detailed or even potentially controversial policy proposals. Instead, the administration identified conservation, collaboration and improved technology as among the routes to explore." Sacramento Bee (May 6, 2003) 1.]

Water 2025. 27 p.
http://www.doi.gov/water2025/Water2025_files/frame.htm

Press release. 2 p.
http://www.doi.gov/water2025/

[Request #S8085]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

CAMPAIGN FINANCE

California Pro-Life Council, Inc. v. Karen Getman, Chairman of the Fair Political Practices Commission, et al. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 02-15378. May 8, 2003. 33 p.

Full Text at: tinyurl.com/be3p

["California can require supporters and opponents of ballot measures to make financial disclosures to allow voters to evaluate 'the speaker behind the sound bite,' a federal appeals court declared. But while upholding the state's overall authority to shed light on the money behind multimillion-dollar ballot measure campaigns, the court refused to say whether California went too far in its 1974 campaign finance reform law." San Francisco Chronicle (May 9, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8100]

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McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, et al. U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. 02-CV-82. May 2, 2003.

["In the first legal test of last year's campaign funding reform, a special three-judge court upheld the key part of the McCain-Feingold law that blocks the flow of corporate and union money to political parties to pay for thinly disguised campaign ads....The significance of Friday's ruling lies mostly in helping to define the broad legal issues of the case, which goes directly to the Supreme Court for a final judgment." Los Angeles Times (May 3, 2003) A1.]

Per Curiam opinion. 171 p.
http://lsmns2o.gtwy.uscourts.gov/dcd/02cv582a.pdf

Other opinions and orders. Various pagings.
http://lsmns2o.gtwy.uscourts.gov/dcd/mcconnell-2002-ruling.html

[Request #S8110]

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Homeland Security State and Local Formula Grant Allocation Alternatives, FY 2003. By the California Institute for Federal Policy Research (The Institute, Washington, DC) 2003. Various pagings; charts; tables.

Full Text at: www.calinst.org/datapages/DHS.htm

["Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tom Ridge visited various sites across California. Reports varied regarding his Department's intentions for allocating $1.3 billion in grants to reimburse state and local governments for the costs of protecting against terrorism. Some reports indicate that DHS may change a formula that gives small states a major advantage over larger states. Other reports indicate that the Secretary intends to leave in place the existing scheme, which has been the object of strong criticism."]

[Request #S8086]

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Federal Revenues Appear To Be Drying Up More Than Expected. By Isaac Shapiro, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (The Center, Washington, DC) May 5, 2003. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.cbpp.org/5-5-03tax.pdf

["Instead of the Congressional Budget Office's current projections that revenues will equal 17.6 percent of the economy in 2003, receipts as a percentage of the economy would drop to 16.7 percent. This would be the first time this measure has been below 17 percent since 1959."]

[Request #S8087]

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Alternative Investment Management Program Fund Performance Review. By the California Public Employees' Retirement System. (The System, Sacramento, California) April 30, 2003. Various pagings

Full Text at: www.calpers.ca.gov/invest/aim/aim.asp

["California's giant pension fund, CalPERS, hammered one of the last nails in the coffin of secrecy in the venture capital industry -- and it's probably a good thing for Silicon Valley. It posted the financial performance results of $3 billion of its venture investments on its Web site -- including those of many prominent Bay Area venture firms.... Venture capitalists were worried that the public would misinterpret their results, and pressured CalPERS and Grove Street to keep them private. But early this year, CalPERS about-faced and decided public employees had a right to know how their retirement funds are doing." San Jose Mercury News (May 1, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8088]

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Internet Cigarette Sales: Limited Compliance and Enforcement of the Jenkins Act Result in Loss of State Tax Revenue. By Paul L. Jones. General Accouting Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) May 2003. 18 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-714T

["The Jenkins Act requires any person who sells and ships cigarettes across a state line to a buyer, other than a licensed distributor, to report the sale to the buyer's state tobacco tax administrator.... However, some state and federal officals are concerned that as Internet cigarette sales continue to grow, particularly as states' cigarette taxes increase, so will the amount of lost state tax revenue due to noncompliance with the Jenkins Act."]

[Request #S8089]

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National Survey of Americans' Views on Taxes. By Marcus Rosenbaum, National Public Radio, and others. (NPR, Washington, DC) April 2003. 27 p.

Full Text at: www.npr.org/news/specials/polls/taxes2003/20030415_taxes_survey.pdf

["According to a new poll by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the number of people who say their federal income taxes are too high is the lowest it's been since the 1960s. In the face of war, a weak economy and a rising deficit, many Americans think this is not a good time for tax cuts.... Still, asked whether there was so much wrong with the tax system that it should be completely changed, or whether the system needed only minor changes, a slim majority, 52 percent, said it should be completely changed. On the other hand, 44 percent said it needed only minor changes." NPR Morning Edition (April 15, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8091]

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HEALTH

FOOD SAFETY

Dietary Supplements: Review of Health-Related Call Records for Users of Metabolife 356. The General Accounting Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) March 2003. 35 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d03494.pdf

["Dietary supplements containing ephedra, such as Metabolife 356, have been associated with serious adverse health-related events ... [including] heart attack, stroke, seizure and death."]

[Request #S8093]

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Health Insurance Underwriting Cycle Effect on Health Plan Premiums and Profitability. By Richard Kipp, John P. Cookson, and Lisa I. Mattie, Milliman USA Consultants and Actuaries. Prepared for American Hospital Association and The Federation of American Hospitals (The Federation, Washington, DC) April 2003. 68 p.

Full Text at: www.fahs.com/press_releases/electronic%20press%20kit.pdf

["According to the report, recent increases in health insurance premiums have exceeded growth in health care costs.... Competition, legislation, regulation , and difficulty predicting future costs are all contributors to the underwriting cycle." Health Care Policy Report , (April 14, 2003) 513.]

[Request #S8094]

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Going Without Health Insurance: Nearly One in Three Non-Elderly Americans. By Kathleen Stoll, Families USA. (Families USA, Washington, DC) 2003. 57 p.

Full Text at: covertheuninsuredweek.org/media/GoingWithoutReport.pdf

["To assess how many people were directly affected by the absence of health coverage recently, this report provides national and state-by-state estimates of how many people were uninsured during all or part of the 2001-2002 two year period. The report also provides estimates about the length of time such persons were uninsured. Based on this analysis, approximately 74.7 million people under the age of 65 - nearly one out of three (30.1 percent) were without health insurance for all or part of 2001 and 2002."]

[Request #S8096]

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Regulation of Private Long-Term Care Insurance: Implementation Experience and Key Issues. By Stephanie Lewis and others. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (The Foundation, Washington, DC) 2003. 61 p.

Full Text at: www.kff.org/content/2003/6073/6073.pdf

[“While private long-term care insurance (LTCI) had been available since the mid-1970’s, its popularity had grown rapidly in recent years, and Congress is considering proposals that would further encourage LTCI purchase through expanded tax subsidies. Yet there had been little independent examination of just how well LTCI works and how much security it really provides. This report focuses on consumer protections for individuals buying LTCI in the current market.”]

[Request #S8097]

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Health of Migrant Farmworkers in California. By Michael Rodriguez, Jennifer L. Toller, and Patrick Dowling, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Prepared for the California Research Bureau 2002 Educational Tour Series. Policy Brief Number 4. March 2003. 25 p.

Full Text at: www.library.ca.gov/crb/03/05/03-005.pdf

["In spite of the economic value of harvest they produce, California's migrant workers still find themselves largely marginalized and impoverished. Since they are excluded from basic labor regulations with respect to overtime pay, child minimum age requirements, and some health and safety worker protections, it is not suprising that they had made little progress.... With low wages, inadequate housing, and dangerous work, it is not surprising that studies have documented high rates of injuries among farm workers; further, a significant number suffer from poor nutrition and chronic disease as well as depression. Although access to affordable quality health care for migrant women and chidren has improved, it still falls below national standards."]

[Request #S8098]

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Ephedra and Ephedrine for Weight Loss and Athletic Performance Enhancement: Clinical Efficacy and Side Effects: File Inventory, Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Number 76. By Paul Shekelle and others. AHRQ Publication No. 03-E022. Prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (The Agency, Rockville, Maryland. March 2003. Various pagings. And "Efficacy and Safety of Ephedra and Ephedrine for Weight Loss and Athletic Performance: A Meta-Analysis." By Paul Shekelle and others. IN: JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 289, no. 12 (March 26, 2003) pp. 1537-1545.

Full Text at: www.ahrq.gov/clinic/ephedinv.htm

["Reports of adverse events, including serious side effects and even deaths, many in apparently healthy young people, began increasing.... Several major consumer health groups have called on the FDA to ban sales of ephedra-containing products.... We performed an exhaustive search and review of the medical research 'literature' using the well-accepted procedures of evidence-based medicine." Rand Health Research Highlights (April 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8099]

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"Prevalence of Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults and Changes in Prevalence of Current and Some Day Smoking -- United State, 1996-2001." IN: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, no. 52, vol. 14 (April 11, 2003) pp. 303-307.

Full Text at: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5214a2.htm

["Statistics ... show a growing number of U.S smokers aren't lighting up as often, but federal officials say cutting back without quiting is just as dangerous as not quiting at all." Sacramento Bee (April 11, 2003) A12.]

[Request #S8101]

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HUMAN SERVICES

CHILD CARE

The Myth of a Child Care Crisis. By Brian M. Riedl. (The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC) May 2, 2003. 15 p.

Full Text at: www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=41046

["Despite the dramatic increase in child care funding over the past six years, some activists and Members of Congress are still lamenting an alleged 'child care crisis.' However, many of the arguments concerning welfare and child care are outdated or misleading. This paper debunks six persistent myths about child care in America."]

[Request #S8102]

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Child Care: Recent State Policy Changes Affecting the Availability of Assistance for Low-Income Families. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. Prepared for the Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives. GAO-03-588 (The Office, Washington, DC) May 2003. 47 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-588

["Nearly half the states have reduced child-care subsidies for poor families during the past two years ... The states' fiscal problems have prompted agencies to restrict eligibility, stop accepting new families or charge them more for the care. The analysis found that the changes have decreased the availability of subsidized day care for low-income working families." The Washington Post (May 5, 2003) A2.]

[Request #S8104]

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Number of Black Children in Extreme Poverty Hits Record High. By Children’s Defense Fund. (The Fund, Washington, DC) 2003. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.childrensdefense.org/pdf/extreme_poverty.pdf

[“The number of black Americans under 18 years old who live in extreme poverty had risen sharply since 2000 and is now at its highest level since the government began collecting such figures in 1980…. In 2001, almost 1 million black children were living in families with after-tax incomes that were less than half the amount used to define poverty.” San Francisco Chronicle (April 30, 2003) A6.]

[Request #S8103]

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Social Security: Issues Relating to Noncoverage of Public Employees: Statement of Barbara D. Bovbjerg. Presented to U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Social Security, Committee on Ways and Means. Prepared by the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-03-710T (The Office, Washington, DC) May 1, 2003. 14 p.

Full Text at: frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=162.140.64.21&filename=d03710t.pdf&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao

["California is especially hard hit by the two clauses in the Social Security Act, called the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision. More than 125,000 retirees in the state are affected by the provisions." Sacramento Bee (May 2, 2003) A3.]

[Request #S8105]

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INTERNATIONAL READER

Foreign Assistance: U.S. Democracy Programs in Six Latin American Countries Have Yielded Modest Results. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-03-358. (The Office, Washington, DC) March 18, 2003. 137 p.

Full Text at: frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=162.140.64.21&filename=d03358.pdf&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao

["U.S. programs to strengthen democratic institutions in six Latin American countries have had a modest impact to date.... This report discusses the impact of and factors affecting this assistance and the overarching management issues that have affected program planning and implementation."]

[Request #S8106]

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TRANSPORTATION

DRIVERS' LICENSES

An Act Relating to Motor Vehicles; Authorizing Intergovernmental Agreements for Exchange of Motor Vehicle Offense Information Between Tribes and the State. By the New Mexico Legislature. (The Legislature, Santa Fe, New Mexico) April 2003.`19 p.

["Governor Bill Richardson signed into law a bill that allows for an exchange of traffic records between state and tribal governments. The state's Motor Vehicle Division also would be given the power to suspend a driver's license based on a conviction in tribal court, including drunken driving convictions." journalstar.com (April 14, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S8107]

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"Driver's License Debate." By Jim McKay. IN: Government Technology (April 2003) pp. 031-034.

Full Text at: www.govtech.net/magazine/story.phtml?id=45916

["Both the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administration and the feds look at data sharing that can detect individuals attempting to obtain driver's licenses in more than one state.... It is settled the driver's license is accepted as the nation's de facto ID card, and in that role, it should be more secure than it is."

[Request #S8108]

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WASHINGTON READER

Califoria Capitol Hill Bulletin. By The California Institute for Federal Policy Research. Volume 10, Bulletin 11-13. (The Institute, Washington, DC) April 25 - May 8, 2003. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.calinst.org/bulletins/b1013.pdf

[Includes: "Unanimous California Delegation Urges Greater State Criminal Assistance Protram Funding;" "Homeland Security Secretary Visits California, Sends Divergent Messages on Formula Fund Choice;" "Census Estimates Show Growing Outmigration from Bay Area;" "State and Local Government Leaders Press for More Highways and Transit Resources;" "Formation of Congressional 'Goods Movement Caucus' Is Announced;" "Innovative Transportation Financing Schemes Considered;" "Digital Piracy Focus of Entertainment Caucus Discussion;" and others.]

[Request #S8109]

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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.]

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic Violence and Health Care, Politics and Prevention. By Carolina Reyes and others. (Haworth Medical Press, Haworth Press, Inc., New York, New York) 2002. 202 p.

[Includes: "Women Referred for On-Site Domestic Violence Services in a Managed Care Organization;" "Domestic Violence in Later Life: An Overview for Health Care Providers;" "Abused Patient's Attitudes About Mandatory Reporting of Intimate Partner Abuse Injuries to Police" and others. NOTE: Domestic Violence and Health Care will be available for 3-day loan.]

[Request #S8111]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

CAMPAIGN FINANCE

Life After Reform: When the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) Meets Politics. Edited by Michael J. Malbin. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (Lanham, MD) 2003.

[Includes: "Thinking About Reform;" "State Political Parties After BCRA;" "Court Decisions, Regulation and Next Steps;" and others.]

[Request #S8112]

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HUMAN SERVICES

HOMELESS

Alone Without a Home: A State by State Review of Laws Affecting Unaccompanied Youth. By The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and The National Network for Youth. (The Center, Washington, DC) 2003.

["This publication analyzes legal trends, identifies noteworthy state and territorial statutes and makes policy recommendations.... There are also chapters providing overviews of unaccompanied youth's rights to public education and to obtain and manage medical and mental health care on their own behalf. The book also includes summaries and legal citations for the relevant laws of every state and six United States territories."]

[Request #S8113]

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