1855 - "(Before 1855, the Towns Act) limited a town's taxing authority to one-half percent of assessed value. In 1855, the Legislature raised this limit to 1% and, reflecting the needs of the times, allowed towns to regulate bars and levy a $6 annual tax on dogs. Creatures of Statute . . . Children of Trade by Peter M. Detwiler http://www.library.ca.gov/CCRC/reports/html/h_cities.html"    

1856 - "In 1856, the California Supreme Court declared the Towns Act unconstitutional, dismantling the compromise that Governor Burnett had built with the Legislature. The Court held that the Legislature improperly delegated the power to incorporate towns to the County Courts; impermissible because the courts are not part of the legislative branch. The Supreme Court instead suggested that the Legislature delegate this legislative responsibility to the county board of supervisors or some other body with similar powers. Creatures of Statute . . . Children of Trade by Peter M. Detwiler http://www.library.ca.gov/CCRC/reports/html/h_cities.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.

• California State Employees may contact the State Information & Reference Center (916-654-0206; cslsirc@library.ca.gov) with the SITN issue number and the item number [S#].

• All other interested individuals should contact their local library - the items may be available there, or may be borrowed by your local library on your behalf.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

CHILD ABDUCTIONS

Missing: Children at Risk. By Thomas Hargrove, Scripps Howard News Service. (The Service, Washington, DC) May 10, 2005.

["An intensive, four-month investigative study on how missing children are reported finds that about 12 percent never make it into the FBI's National Crime Information Center database, meaning hundreds of thousands of children are at risk. At least three major law enforcement agencies have changed their policies because of this study."]

Full Report. Various pagings.:
http://www.shns.com/shns/missing/

National Database of Unreported Missing Children by City. Various pagings.:
ftp://shnsclients.scripps.com/data/Missing/

[Request #S51401]

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Criminal Aliens Incarcerated in Federal and State Prisons and Local Jails. By U.S. Government Accountability Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) April 2005. 38 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d05337r.pdf

["[This report provides] information concerning criminal aliens incarcerated at the federal, state and local level. For the criminal aliens incarcerated in federal prisons, and for criminal aliens for which state and local governments receive reimbursement through SCAAP, this report address the following questions: For recent years, how many criminal aliens were incarcerated? What is the country of citizenship or country of birth of these criminal alien inmates? What are the estimated costs of incarcerating criminal aliens?"]

[Request #S51402]

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The War on Marijuana: The Transformation of the War on Drugs in the 1990s. By Ryan S. King and Marc Mauer. (The Sentencing Project, Washington, DC) May 2005. 33 p.

Full Text at: www.sentencingproject.org/pdfs/waronmarijuana.pdf

["This report finds that the 'war on drugs' is increasingly focused on low-level marijuana arrests. The report argues that the $4 billion spent annually on prosecuting marijuana offenses has diverted law enforcement attention from more serious criminal offending." Moving Ideas (April 29, 2005)1.]

[Request #S51403]

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Does Parole Work? By Amy L. Solomon and others, Urban Institute. (The Institute, Washington, DC) 2005. 20 p.

Full Text at: www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311156_Does_Parole_Work.pdf

["In this research brief, [the authors] use data from a Bureau of Justice Statistics recidivism study to compare prisoners released to parole supervision in 1994 with prisoners who completed their entire prison sentence and were released without any supervision or reporting requirements. [The authors'] goal is to assess, at an aggregate level, whether parole 'works' at reducing recidivism among those who are supervised after release from state prison."]

[Request #S51404]

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CULTURE AND SOCIETY

IMMIGRANTS

Second-Generation Immigrants in California. By S. Karthick Ramakrishnan and Hans P. Johnson, California Counts, Public Policy Institute of California. (The Institute, San Francisco, California) May 2005. 20 p.

Full Text at: www.ppic.org/content/pubs/CC_505KRCC.pdf

["More than four in 10 California children born in the United States have at least one foreign-born parent, according to a study. Over the next two decades, these children will move from the public school system into colleges and the work force. But not all of them will succeed at equal rates." Sacramento Bee (May 18, 2005) A1.]

[Request #S51405]

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DEMOGRAPHY

CALIFORNIA

E-4 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State, 2001-2005, with 2000 Demographic Research Unit Benchmark. By Daniel Sheya and others, State of California, Department of Finance. (The Department, Sacramento, California.) May 2005. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.dof.ca.gov/HTML/DEMOGRAP/HistE-4.htm

["California grew last year at the slowest pace since the recession of the 1990s as birthrates leveled off, immigration fell and more people left the state. Nonetheless, the state grew by more than half a million people for its sixth straight year in 2004, and Californians now account for one in eight Americans, according to a report." Los Angeles Times (May 3, 2005) A1.]

[Request #S51406]

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ECONOMY

California and Metro Forecast: 2005-2007. By the Business Forecasting Center, Eberhardt School of Business, University of the Pacific. (The Center, Stockton, California) 2005. 80 p.

Full Text at: forecast.pacific.edu/CA_Metro_Forecast_Mar05.pdf

["Highlights of the California forecast: Payroll employment forecast to grow at 2% per year over in 2005-2007. High growth sectors: Professional and Business Services, Information and Construction. Gross State Product to grow at nearly 5.5% 2005-2007. Unemployment rising slowly from 5.7% to 6.0% (2005-2007). Housing starts peak in 2005 and fall slightly in 2006-2007, as mortgage rates rise."]

[Request #S51407]

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Military Base Closures: Observations of Prior and Current BRAC Rounds. By U.S. Government Accountability Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) May 3, 2005. 38 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d05614.pdf

["For the inaugural hearing of the 2005 BRAC Commission GAO was asked to address 1) the status of implementing recommendations from previous BRAC rounds; 2) DOD's expectations for the 2005 BRAC round; and 3) the analytical framework for the 2005 BRAC round, GAO offers some suggestions for the Commission to consider as it prepares for the 2005 BRAC round." Note: Military Base Closures ... will be available for 3-day loan.]

[Request #S51452]

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Military Base Closures: Updated Status of Prior Base Realignments and Closures. By the General Accounting Office. GAO-05-138. (The Office, Washington, DC) 2005. 55 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d05138.pdf

["This report, which is being issued to the defense authorization committees that have oversight responsibility over defense infrastructure, describes DOD's progress in implementing prior BRAC postclosure actions. It addresses (1) the transfer of unneeded base property to other users, (2) the magnitude of the net savings accruing from the prior rounds, (3) estimated costs for environmental cleanup of BRAC property, and (4) the economic recovery of communities affected by base closures." NOTE: Military Base Closures ... will be avaialable for 3-day loan.]

[Request #S51453]

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Notice of Recommended Base Closure and Realingments. IN: Federal Register, vol. 70, no. 93 (May 16, 2005) pp. 28030-28061.

["California will lose fewer than 3,000 military personnel and about 5,700 civilian jobs under a nationwide base-closure plan announced by the Defense Department. But none of California's largest bases is targeted for closure in the fifth round of base closures and realignments that in previous cycles have cost the state nearly 30 major installations, about 93,500 military jobs and nearly $10 billion in annual revenues." Sacramento Bee (May 14, 2005) A1. NOTE: Detailed Recommendations ... will be avaialbe for 3-day loan.]

Federal Register. 33 p.
federal register

Detailed Recommendations. 398 p.
recommendations

Press Release. 1 p.
press release

[Request #S51454]

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"Policing Pirates in the Networked Age." By Stan Liebowitz. IN: Policy Analysis, no. 438 (May 15, 2002) pp. 1-28.

Full Text at: www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa438.pdf

["This paper examines whether new internet copying technologies are likely to be different from prior technologies in their ability to destroy the value of intellectual property rights and concludes that they are.... Finally, the analysis examines the impact of a possible market-based solution to this potential problem, based on new anti-privacy technologies known as digital rights management. This technology not only promises to make copying harder, but also allows the copyright owner to charge tiny micropayments for various degrees of use of the product."]

[Request #S51409]

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The Real Pirates of the Caribbean: U.S. High Tech Industry's False CAFTA Promises Disguise Bad Policy. Washington Alliance of Technology Workers. Report. (The Alliance, Redmond, Washington.) May 2005. 17 p.

Full Text at: www.washtech.org/reports/pirates/PiratesOfTheCaribbean.pdf

["High-tech executives pushing for a free-trade deal with Central America are 'the real pirates of the Caribbean' for using 'false' promises to sell the pact to Congress and the public, says a report. The six countries involved in the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, represent a tiny export market for high-tech goods, and the pact would harm U.S. tech workers by pushing down domestic wages and benefits, which started with a similar free-trade agreement with Mexico and Canada in 1994, according to the report." Mercury News (May 11, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51410]

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Securing Social Security: Sensitivity to Economic Assumptions and Analysis of Policy Options. By Brian Roach and Frank Ackerman, Global Development and Environmental Institute, Tufts University. (The Institute, Medford, Massachusetts) May 2005. 33 p.

Full Text at: ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/wp/05-03SecuringSocialSecurity.pdf

["Revamping the Social Security program has become a domestic policy priority of the Bush administration. The President has stated that the system is facing a 'crisis' and will be 'bankrupt' in 2041.... In this paper we consider whether Social Security is really facing a crisis and whether any potential future shortfalls could be remedied without changing the basic structure of the existing program."]

[Request #S51411]

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Granholm, Governor of Michigan, et al. v. Heald, et al. U.S. Supreme Court. 03-1116. May 16, 2005. Various pagings.

Full Text at: a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/16may20050800/www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/04pdf/03-1116.pdf

["States must allow consumers to buy wine directly from out-of-state wineries if they allow such sales from in-state wineries... The court's decision does not immediately open access to consumers in the 23 states that still prohibit direct shipment of wine -- ordered on the Internet, over the phone or while visiting wine-tasting rooms. But it specifically prohibits laws in eight of those states -- Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Vermont -- that treat out-of-state wineries differently from in-state ones." San Jose Mercury News (May 17, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51412]

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EDUCATION

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program: Final Report. By Susanne James-Burdumy and others, Mathematica Research Institute. Prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. (Institute of Education Sciences, Washington, DC) April 2005. 130 p.

Full Text at: www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/pdfs/21stfinal.pdf

["Elementary students participating in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program felt safer than students not enrolled but were more likely to engage in negative behaviors. There were few impacts on student achievement overall and no difference between the treatment and control groups on homework assistance or completion." News From Mathematica (April 22, 2005).]

[Request #S51413]

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Listen Up: Californians Respond to College-access Crisis. By Campaign for College Opportunity: Report. (Campaign for College Opportunity, Los Angeles, California) May 11, 2005. 28 p.

Full Text at: www.collegecampaign.org/pdf/press-releases/CCO-Listening-Report-Final.pdf

["California's public universities must begin planning now to handle an influx of 837,000 additional students predicted by 2013, a report recommends.... Already, students are complaining about overcrowded classes where they have to sit on the floor and traveling to multiple campuses to get the classes they need. What used to be a four-year degree now takes students six years or more to earn." Los Angeles Daily News (May 12, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51414]

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Pontiac School District v. Spellings. United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Complaint. April 20, 2005.

["Opening a new front in the growing rebellion against President Bush's signature education law, the nations' largest teachers' union and eight school districts in Michigan, Texas and Vermont sued the Department of Education, accusing it of violating a passage in the law that says states cannot be forced to spend their own money to meet federal requirements." New York Times (April 21, 2005) A1.]

Complaint. 60 p.:
http://www.nea.org/lawsuit/images/nclbcomplaint.pdf

Press Release. 1 p.:
http://www.nea.org/lawsuit/nr050420.html

[Request #S51440]

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State Data Systems and Privacy Concerns: Strategies for Balancing Public Interests. By Jack Mills, Jobs for the Future. (Jobs for the Future, Boston, Massachusetts) 2005. 19 p.

Full Text at: www.jff.org/jff/PDFDocuments/StateDataSystems.pdf

["This policy brief explores how states can balance the interests of accountability and privacy in the collection and use of student outcome data. It describes how states have addressed the issue within the limits and constraints set by federal privacy laws, with particular reference to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act." Moving Ideas (April 26, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51415]

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"Schoolwide Environmental Interventions to Improve Healthy Eating Habits" [Special Issue.] By Simone French and others. IN: ResearchBrief, vol. 3, no. 4 (February 15, 2005) online.

Full Text at: www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.6a9dfddd720040bf989ad324d3108a0c/

["The schools were randomly assigned to either the control group, which received no intervention, or the treatment group, which participated in the Trying Alternative Cafeteria Options in Schools (TACOS) program. The TACOS program used two approaches designed to change the eating habits of students in the schools: increasing the availability of low-fat foods on the a la carte menu; and establishment of a peer promotions component designed to highlight and encourage students to chose the low-fat food options offered by the schools."]

[Request #S51416]

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Improving High School: A Strategic Approach. By Paul Warren, Legislative Analyst's Office. (The Office, Sacramento, California) May 2005. 76 p.

Full Text at: www.lao.ca.gov/2005/high_schools/improving_hs_050905.pdf

["Evidence continues to mount that California's high schools are not preparing graduates well.... The Legislative Analyst's Office ... concluded that high schools would improve if they focused existing reform efforts on better preparing students for college and work." Sacramento Bee (May 10, 2005) A3.]

[Request #S51417]

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EMPLOYMENT

JOB SECURITY

The Effect of Reserve Call-ups on Civilian Employees. By Heidi L. W. Goldberg, Congressional Budget Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) May 2005. 42 p.

Full Text at: www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/63xx/doc6351/05-11-Reserves.pdf

["The ability of reservists to contribute to national defense depends in part on the support of their civilian employers. The current trend toward longer and more frequent reserve deployments, however, raises questions about the ability of civilian employers, particularly small businesses, to absorb the costs they experience when their reservist employees are called up. This ... paper ... examines the implications of reserve call-ups for civilian employers and considers measures that might alleviate problems that businesses face."]

[Request #S51418]

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The Dynamics of California's Biotechnology Industry. By Junfu Zhang, Public Policy Institute of California, and Nikesh Patel, True Fabrications. (The Institute, San Francisco, California) 2005. 25 p.

Full Text at: www.ppic.org/content/pubs/R_405JZR.pdf

["Despite the competition from other regions, California gained more jobs than it lost due to the relocation of biotech firms during a 10-year period studied by an economist at the Public Policy Institute of California. The companies moving to California in the study period, 1990 to 2001, were more likely to be newer, with more growth potential. The state could be vulnerable to the loss of biotech manufacturing jobs to cheaper locations."]

[Request #S51419]

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The Road to Good Employment Retention: Three Successful Programs from the Jobs Initiative. By David Jason Fischer, Center for an Urban Future. (Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland) 2005. 20 p.

Full Text at: www.aecf.org/initiatives/fes/pubs/employment_retention.pdf

["This report examines the success of the Work Link/Project R.E.S.P.E.C.T. in St. Louis, Missouri; and the Individualized Placement and Office Occupations projects in Seattle, Washington. These projects have managed to place and keep between half and nearly two-thirds of the low-skilled individuals who entered their programs in jobs for more than a year. Each project is intended to meet program participants at varying levels of employability through a different combination of strategies."]

[Request #S51420]

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ENERGY

ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY

California v. Powerex Corporation, et al. Sacramento County Superior Court. Complaint. May 18, 2005

["The state of California sued Powerex Corp. and PNM Resources Inc., accusing the companies of colluding to create artificial power shortages and inflated prices during the state's energy crisis four years ago. The lawsuit is the third energy-related case California has brought against Powerex, the electricity-trading unit of the British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority." Los Angeles Times (May 19, 2005) 1.]

Complaint. 10 p.:
http://www.ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/2005/05-035.pdf

Press Release. 1 p.:
http://www.ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/2005/05-035.htm

[Request #S51421]

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A Vision for California's Energy Future. By Office of the Governor. (The Office, Sacramento, CA) May 12, 2005. 17 p.

Full Text at: www.lhc.ca.gov/lhcdir/reorg/EnergyGRP.pdf

["The Schwarzenegger administration proposed the creation of a new Department of Energy with a cabinet-level secretary, drawing immediate criticism from consumer groups and Democratic legislators. The reorganization would consolidate the Energy Commission and three lesser-known agencies and shift the siting of power lines and natural gas facilities from the Public Utilities Commission to the new department." San Diego Tribune (May 10, 2005) C1.]

[Request #S51422]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

AIR POLLUTION

Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective. By California Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board. (The Board, Sacramento, California) 2005. 103 p.

Full Text at: www.arb.ca.gov/ch/march_29_aq_handbook.pdf

["The Air Resources Board's primary goal in developing this document is to provide information that will help to keep California's children and other vulnerable populations out of harm's way with respect to nearby sources of air pollution.... Focusing attention on these situations is an important preventative action.... This issue of siting is a local government function. As more data on the connection between proximity and health risk from air pollution become available, it is essential that air agencies share what we know with land use agencies. We hope this document will serve that purpose."]

[Request #S51423]

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National Coastal Condition Report: Summary of Findings. By U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (The Agency, Washington, DC) 2005. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nccr/2005/downloads.html

["This report is based on the large amount of monitoring data collected between 1997 and 2000 on the condition of the estuarine and Great Lakes resources in the United States. Ecological assessment of these data show that the nation's estuaries are in fair condition, with poor conditions in the Northeast coast and Puerto Rico regions, poor to fair conditions in the Great Lakes, and West coast, and good conditions in the Southeast coast."]

[Request #S51424]

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California Report: 2003 Toxics Release Inventory. By the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9. (The Agency, San Francisco, California) May 2005.

["From 2002 to 2003 industries in California reported a 21 percent and 6 percent decrease in the amount of toxic chemicals released into the water and air respectively, according to new data. Overall, California had an 11 percent increase in total on and off site releases when compared to 2002 data. The increase is primarily due to a 7.8 million pound increase in transfers of toxic materials from several cleanup projects throughout the state to a permitted hazardous waste landfill in Kettleman City."]

California Report. 4 p.:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/toxic/tri/report/03/california.pdf

Press Release. 1 p.:
press release

[Request #S51425]

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Does the Built Environment Influence Physical Activity? Examining the Evidence. By the Committee on Physical Activity, Health, Transportation, and Land Use, Transportation Research Board and Institute of Medicine. (The Board, Washington, DC) 2005.

["The report reviews the broad trends affecting the relationships among physical activity, health, transportation, and land use; summarizes what is known about these relationships, including the strength and magnitude of any causal connections; examines implications for policy; and recommends priorities for future research." TRB Newsletter (May 3, 2005) 1.]

Report. 269 p.:
http://trb.org/publications/sr/sr282.pdf

Summary. 2 p.:
http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/sr/sr282summary.pdf

[Request #S51426]

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The Proposed Lower Yuba River Accord: A Collaborative Settlement Initiative. By the California Department of Fish and Game and others. (The Department, Sacramento, California) April 2005. 12 p.

Full Text at: www.ycwa.com/images/Other/Proposed_Yuba_Accord_Booklet.pdf

["Seventeen state and federal agencies, environmental organizations and irrigation districts ... created what they call the Lower Yuba River Accord.... The proposed settlement would resolve nearly 15 years of fighting over how much water must be left in the river for steelhead and Chinook salmon.... (and) includes an agreement to increase water flows to benefit salmon and steelhead in both wet and dry years." Associated Press (April 21, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51427]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Ward Connerly v. Gray Davis, et al. Superior Court of Sacramento County. 03AS05154. May 12, 2005. Various pagings

Full Text at: www.saccourt.com/courtrooms/trulings/dept54/may12d54.tr

["California lawmakers improperly and unconstitutionally adopted legislation two years ago that violated the state's ban on race-based preferences, a judge ruled.... Under the legislation, government agencies need not prove racial discrimination before launching special measures. Individuals would have no legal standing to contest such measures unless they resulted in preferential treatment.... There was disagreement about the significance of court's ruling." Sacramento Bee (May 13, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51428]

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Proposed Voluntary Guidance on Implementation of Statewide Voter Registration Lists. By the Election Assistance Commission. (The Commission, Washington, DC) 2005. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.eac.gov/docs/DRAFT%20GUIDANCE%20(4-11-05)%20(Second%20Draft)(FR%20format).pdf

["The four members of the Election Assistance Commission listening to criticism of their recently-released guidelines on statewide voter registration databases at a field hearing heard two messages: their document was too vague and too soft." electionline.org (April 28, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51429]

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FY 2006 Budget Resolution: The Start of Something Big. By Federal Funds Information for States. FFIS Issue Brief. 05-05. (FFIS, Washington, DC) May 10, 2005. 10 p.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/ffis/subs/bb/2005/BB05-05.pdf

["More than in recent years, limits on discretionary appropriations are tight, and are expected to produce net cutbacks in aid to state and local governments. In addition, the resolution creates budget room for $106 billion in tax reductions over five years... These expected cutbacks come during a fiscal year in which federal medical assistance percentages are declining substantially for many states and in which the new Medicare Part D will begin. The combination of these events can be expected to produce challenges for states in their budget formulation and execution."]

[Request #S51431]

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Overview of the Pension Crisis. Interim Report no. 3. By the City Attorney's Office, City of San Diego. (The Office, San Diego, California) April 2005. 23p.

Full Text at: genesis.sannet.gov/infospc/templates/attorney/pdf/thirdinterimreport.pdf

["A report declared that San Diego pension benefits spanning nearly a decade are illegal and therefore void, and that a mix of taxes and benefit reductions is needed to close a $1.37 billion pension-system deficit....The report recommends a 'spread the pain' program that calls for reduced benefits for city employees and bigger burdens for city taxpayers. Exactly how much bigger was not specified." San Diego Union-Tribune (April 9, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51434]

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Limiting the Future? What Would the "Live Within Our Means Act" Mean For California? By California Budget Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California) April 2005. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/2005/0504bb_lwom.pdf

["A business-backed coalition, Citizens for California, with the support of the Governor, has proposed an initiative that would radically restructure the rules governing the state's budget process. The California Live Within Our Means (LWOM) Act would impose a new state spending limit, give the governor broad authority to cut spending if revenues fall below forecast levels, and make changes to the Proposition 98 school spending guarantee and to transportation funding authorized by Proposition 42.... This paper examines the implications of the LWOM Act and raises a number or policy questions based on the text of the proposed initiative."]

[Request #S51435]

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Overview of the 2005-06 May Revision. By Elizabeth G. Hill, Legislative Analyst's Office. (The Office, Sacramento, California) May 16, 2005. 20 p.

Full Text at: www.lao.ca.gov/2005/may_revision/051605_may_revision.pdf

["The report complimented the governor for a 'sensible' plan to deal with the state's chronic budget problems by cutting programs and reducing debt.... But Hill warned that the $115.7-billion revised budget plan for 2005-06 would rely on government employees agreeing to forgo hundreds of millions of dollars in salary owed under existing contracts, a proposal to take money from schools that may be unconstitutional and a pension bond that is legally dubious." Los Angeles Times (May 17, 2005) B3.]

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Governor's Budget, May Revision, 2005-06. By the California Department of Finance. (The Department, Sacramento, California) May 13, 2005. 79 p.

Full Text at: www.dof.ca.gov//HTML/Budget_05-06/MayRevision2005-06/MayRevision2005-06Menu.htm

['Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released a revised budget that would use more than $4 billion in new cash to reduce deficit borrowing, would spend more money on transportation projects and local governments but would not increase education spending significantly. Schwarzenegger said the state's growing economy shows there is no need to raise taxes for the fiscal year that starts July 1, but he acknowledged that the state is still looking at a $4 billion deficit in 2006-07." San Francisco Chronicle (May 14, 2005) A1.]

[Request #S51455]

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HEALTH

AIR POLLUTION

Improving Life, One Breath at a Time. State of the Air, 2005. By the American Lung Association. (The Association, New York City, New York) Spring 2005. 223 p.

Full Text at: www.lungusa2.org/embargo/sota05/SOTA05_final.pdf

["A national report, based on Environmental Protection Agency data from the 2001-03 period, found that the number of U.S. counties with unhealthy air recorded by monitors dropped to 390 from 441 in the previous report -- the first significant decline in six years. In its report, the association said California remains the nation's ozone capital and that San Bernardino County had the worst smog, followed by Kern, Fresno, Riverside, Tulare, Los Angeles and Merced counties." Los Angeles Daily News (April 28, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51437]

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Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. By the Committee on Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, National Research Council. (National Academies Press, Washington, DC) April 2005.

["Trying to fill a void for scientists, a committee issued voluntary guidelines for human embryonic stem cell studies, standards that may be incorporated into California's $3 billion stem cell research program. The guidelines were welcomed enthusiastically by researchers in the field. The recommendations fell short, however, of some critics' hopes for more vigorous oversight." Sacramento Bee (April 27, 2005) 1.]

Report. 240 p.:
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309096537/html/

Press release. 2 p.:
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309096537?OpenDocument

[Request #S51438]

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"MarketWatch: Illness and Injury as Contributors to Bankruptcy." By David U. Himmelstein, Harvard Medical School, and others. IN: Health Affairs, Web Exclusives (February 2,2005) 11 p.

Full Text at: content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/hlthaff.w5.63v1

["Illness and medical bills caused half of the nearly 1.5 million personal bankruptcies in 2001 (and more than three-quarters of bankruptcy claimers had health insurance at the start of their illness), according to researchers at Harvard Law School and Harvard Medical School. Each year, medical bankruptcies affect about 2 million Americans, including about 700,000 children." Connect for Kids (May 2, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51439]

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Management Audit of the Department of Mental Health - - Office of the Public Guardian. By the County of Los Angeles, Department of Auditor-Controller. (The Department, Los Angeles, California.) May 11, 2005. 177 p.

Full Text at: auditor.co.la.ca.us/cms1_028845.pdf

["The Los Angeles County agency that serves as legal caretaker for some of the area's most vulnerable adults is so chronically short of funds that it takes months to act and turns away most of those sent to it for help, an audit said. The report also blames a top-heavy structure and a 'problematic management culture' for undermining the agency's efficiency and morale." Los Angeles Times (May 12, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51441]

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Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2005. By the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (The Departments, Washington, DC) 2005. 84 p.

Full Text at: www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/DGA2005.pdf

["The guidelines represent the latest of the 5-year reviews required by federal law and are the basis of federal food and nutrition education programs.... The recommendations are grouped into nine general topics including adequate nutrients within calorie needs, weight management, physical activity, food groups to encourage, fats, carbohydrates, sodium and potassium, alcoholic beverages, and food safety." Maternal and Child Health Alert (January 21, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51442]

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The Economic Costs of Physical Inactivity, Obesity, and Overweight in California Adults During the Year 2000: A Technical Analysis. By David Chenoweth, California Department of Health Services. (The Department, Sacramento, California) April 2005. 45 p.

Full Text at: www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/cdic/cpns/press/downloads/CostofObesityFullTechnicalReport.pdf

["Californians' battle with the waistline, which shows no sign of receding, not only negatively impacts our health, but is now threatening the state's economic well-being as well.... The study notes a 109 percent increase in overweight Californians between 1991 and 2001.. The study now makes clear the economic reality of obesity costs to California -- $11.2 billion annually in lost productivity; $10.2 billion in medical care; and $388 million in workers' compensation. The bill for all this overindulgence is being paid by the 'public and private employers in the form of health insurance and lost productivity,' the study stated." Ventura County Star (April 12, 2005) 6.]

[Request #S51443]

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Lowering the State's Costs for Prescription Drugs. By Anna Brannen and others, Legislative Analyst Office. (The Office, Sacramento, California) February 2005. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.lao.ca.gov/2005/prscrptn_drugs/prscrptn_drugs_021005.pdf

["Lawmakers should add an automatic trigger replacing Schwarzenegger's voluntary rebate proposal with mandatory incentives if drug makers fail to keep promises to cut prices significantly.... That alternative would likely bring consumers larger discounts on more drugs, but result in a lengthy court challenge." Associated Press (February 10, 2005) online.

[Request #S51444]

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HOUSING

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Why Not In Our Community? Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing. By the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (The Department, Washington, DC) February 2005. 31 p.

Full Text at: www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/wnioc.pdf

["Excessive regulation and bureaucracy are hindering the development of affordable housing across the country, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said in a new report... The agency said that two problems have emerged in recent years to further inhibit construction of affordable housing: requirements for impact fees, payments local governments require developers to make to help cover the cost of such public facilities as schools, parks, roads, and sewers; and the misuse of smart growth policies." Sacramento Bee (February 15, 2005) D3.]

[Request #S51445]

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Turning Around Downtown: Twelve Steps to Revitalization. By Christopher B. Leinberger, Arcadia Land Company. (Brookings Institute, Washington, DC) March 2005. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/metro/pubs/20050307_12steps.pdf

["Though every downtown is different there are still common revitalization lessons that can be applied anywhere. While any approach must be customized based on unique physical condition, institutional assets, consumer demand, history, and civic intent, this paper lays out the fundamentals of a downtown turnaround plan and the unique 'private/public' partnership required to succeed. Beginning with visioning and strategic planning to the reemergence of an office market at the end stages, these 12 steps form a template for returning 'walkable urbanity' downtown."]

[Request #S51446]

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HUMAN SERVICES

CHILDREN

The National School Lunch Program: Ensuring that Free and Reduced-price Meal Benefits Go to the Poor. By Philip Gleason and John Burghardt, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Issue Brief. No. 2. (Mathematica Policy Research, Princeton, New Jersey) April 2005. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/pdfs/nslpensuring.pdf

["Hungry kids can't learn -- which is why the National School Lunch Program was created. On a typical day, the program provides no- or low-cost nutritious meals to more than 26 million children across the country. This brief looks at approaches to promote access and ensure eligibility, finding that direct certification helps improve access.... Requiring families to provide up-front documentation of household income when applying for free or reduce-priced meals actually reduced access for eligible children." Connect for Kids (May 2, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51447]

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The State of 50+ in America. By AARP's Public Policy Institute. (AARP,Washington, DC) May 2005. 60 p.

Full Text at: assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/fifty_plus_2005.pdf

["A study from AARP examining the health and welfare of America's 50+ population shows an increased reliance on Social Security among other significant factors. It also examines many changes in the well-being of the 50+ population." Moving Ideas (April 29, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51448]

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Reaching Those in Need: State Food Stamp Participation Rates in 2002. By Laura A. Castner and Allen L. Schirm, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Prepared for the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. (The Service, Washington, DC) 2005. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/pdfs/fns02rates.pdf

["Are food stamps reaching those in need? Across the country, just over half of eligible people received food stamp benefits in 2002 -- but rates among states vary widely, according to a new brief." Connect for Kids (April 11, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S51449]

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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.]

ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

ECOLOGY

Paper or Plastic: Searching for Solutions to an Overpackaged World. By Daniel Imhoff and Roberto Carra. (University of California Press, Berkeley, California) May 2005. 168 p.

["About half the total volume of America's municipal solid waste is packaging -- at least 300 pounds per person each year.... Despite recent advances, the packaging problem keeps growing... Real solutions must incorporate new (or rediscovered) ways of producing, distributing, packaging, consuming, reusing, and reprocessing products and materials." NOTE: Paper or Plastic ... will be available for 3-day loan.]

[Request #S51456]

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HEALTH

CHILDREN

"Assuring Adequate Health Insurance: Results of the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs." By Lynda Honberg and others. IN: Pediatrics, vol. 115, no. 5 (May 2005) pp. 1233-1239.

["Results of the survey demonstrated that although the majority of children with special health care needs have adequate health insurance, additional work is needed to improve the adequacy of insurance, particularly for children below the poverty line, Hispanic children, and children with the most limited functional ability. The survey results also demonstrated the importance of continuous and adequate health insurance, because children who met the health insurance core outcome had fewer unmet needs."]

[Request #S51457]

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