Research Library

Fellow Katharine Neill Harris testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on the failed war on drugs and solutions based on racial justice and harm reduction.

Health policy experts Kirstin Matthews and Rekha Lakshmanan compare the three COVID-19 vaccines now available from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson and, in a separate infographic, provide an overview of Operation Warp Speed.

In testimony before the Texas House of Representatives Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, Neill Harris expressed support for limiting arrests for fine-only offenses and expanding cite-and-release eligibility to include nonviolent misdemeanors and low-level drug possession. These changes will save taxpayers money and reduce the racially disparate burdens of incarceration without compromising public safety, she said.

On September 16, energy fellow Michelle Michot Foss provided an overview of the role of critical minerals in creating a clean economy during testimony before the U.S. House of Representative's Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. She also discussed the challenges associated with energy transitions, including import dependency and considerations for meeting environment, social and governance (ESG) goals.

"In a changing competitive environment, which the recent events affecting the global oil market clearly represent, a greater focus on ensuring and maintaining fair and open competition is critical to the long-term health of the market," said the authors in a written statement to the Texas Railroad Commission.

Texas Democrats’ only hope of having some direct or indirect impact on the 2021 redistricting process is to take control of the Texas House. By the same token, if the Texas GOP can retain its House majority, it will be able to draw tailor-made legislative districts that will increase its prospects of retaining control of the Texas Senate and House during the next decade as well as increase the odds of the GOP retaking control of the U.S. House during the next decade. Click this page for the first of a half dozen of periodic ratings of the Texas House seats deemed to be competitive in terms of the ability of a candidate from either party to win in November 2020.

At a July 22, 2019, field hearing of the House Subcommittee on the Environment, Rice faculty scholar Jim Blackburn testified on ways to strengthen the Houston-Galveston area's resilience to hurricanes. Read his written testimony (PDF) or watch video of the hearing below. Blackburn's testimony begins at the 38:10 mark.

Mexico Center infographics provide informative visualizations of issues affecting the United States and Mexico as well as the binational relationship.

Center for Energy Studies senior director Ken Medlock provided an overview of trends in electricity generation by source — from coal and natural gas to wind, solar and biomass — and the role of infrastructure during testimony before the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on March 5.  Download the PDFs below to read his written testimony and the questions for the record submitted to Medlock, as well as his answers.

Fellow Jennifer Rabb testifies to the Senate Select Committee on Property Tax Reform on ways to increase property owner participation in the tax rate-setting process.