Bonds

Oklahoma’s credit quality is looking up, rating agencies say, with Fitch Ratings joining Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings in revising the state’s rating outlook to positive from stable. Fitch, which rates Oklahoma AA, said Friday the revision reflects sustained improvements in expenditure flexibility and overall fiscal management, “particularly its adherence to conservative budgeting

The Alameda Transportation Authority sold over $216 million in revenue refunding bonds to restructure ACTA’s debt through a combined tender offer and debt restructuring plan. The bond sale allowed ACTA to reshape its profile to avoid projected debt service shortfalls and match anticipated revenue growth. The rail corridor consists of a 20-mile multi-track rail system

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to tap the commonwealth’s surplus revenues for his wide-ranging budget agenda. The Democrat proposed sweeping changes to Pennsylvania’s K-12 and higher education systems and $500 million of borrowing to fund his new economic development plan in his budget address on Tuesday.  The budget proposal was $48.34 billion, an increase of

A four-day atmospheric river-fueled storm that walloped California caused estimated damages of up to $11 billion and put the state’s aging infrastructure to the test. The preliminary damage estimate of up to $11 billion by AccuWeather accounts for damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure, facilities, roadways and vehicles, as well as over 900,000 reported power outages

Gilt-edged Washington Suburban Sanitary District, Maryland, is offering $329 million of revenue bonds via a competitive sale Thursday that may help set the tone for triple-A yield curves that have been contending with U.S. Treasury market volatility in recent sessions.   The consolidated public improvement debt is being issued under the supervision of the Washington Suburban Sanitary

An active primary market was the focus Wednesday with the New York City TFA pricing for institutions with small changes to yields from its Tuesday retail offering, Massachusetts upsizing its GO refunding deal and Wisconsin selling green bonds in the competitive market. Triple-A muni yield curves were mostly little changed to a basis point of

Municipal bonds are part of an Illinois city’s plan to help the local casino build a bigger venue at a new location. In its current form, Aurora’s Hollywood Casino occupies a barge tethered near downtown on the Fox River. The city wants to build a brand new casino resort about five miles away, near an

Hawaii’s first-of-its-kind per-mile fee for vehicles marks the latest and most extensive effort yet among states seeking to offset the fading fuel tax. Signed into law by Gov. Josh Green last July, the law requires EVs to pay a per-mile charge or an annual fee by 2025 and will require all vehicles to pay a

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a new economic development plan that he says will guide the priorities when he releases his budget this week. The 10-year program is Pennsylvania’s first economic development plan in nearly two decades and targets areas including site readiness, workforce development and housing and community development. “For too long, Pennsylvania’s neighboring

The Biden administration will not be appealing to the Supreme Court an Eleventh Circuit ruling in favor of states, who’ve challenged the American Rescue Plan Offset Provision that bars states from using federal aid dollars to fund tax cuts, in what may be an end to those state challenges. That decision was communicated in a

Proposed changes to California’s mental health system and a $6.4 billion bond measure proposed in Proposition 1 continue to garner more support as the March 5 election draws near. The proposition, which will be the only one on the March ballot, would use funds from California’s so-called millionaire’s tax to create more slots for people

On Wednesday the House passed new legislation that seeks adjustments to Low-Income Housing Tax Credits issued by the Treasury that lowers the volume requirements of state-issued private activity bonds.  The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act passed via a 357 -70 vote featuring strong bipartisan support. It stands on two legs of expanding

Florida lawmakers are asking Congress to expand the use of tax-exempt private activity bonds to include commercial spaceports. “The push for Congress to grant spaceport bonds tax-exempt status has been a conversation for many years,” said a spokesperson for Space Florida, the state’s aerospace finance and development authority, which oversees the development of the Florida’s

President Joe Biden will visit Wisconsin Thursday to announce nearly $5 billion in grants to kickstart transportation projects across the country. The largest grant, of $1 billion, will go to replace the aging Blatnik bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota, where Biden will make the announcement. President Joe Biden is set to visit Wisconsin Thursday to

The Oklahoma Senate will not take up an income tax cut during a special legislative session next week as it waits for more information about the state’s financial position. The Republican-controlled chamber will commence and immediately adjourn the session that starts Monday just like it did for an October special session on tax cuts Gov.

Arizona should be able to tackle a growing shortfall given the state’s improved reserves, low debt burden, and budget flexibility, Moody’s Investors Service said this week.  The state’s general fund faces projected shortfalls of $835 million in fiscal 2024 and nearly $879 million in fiscal 2025, according to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee’s latest projections,

Louisiana’s largest and most complex public-private partnership that will replace an aging bridge over Interstate 10 appears back on track after the state’s new administration hammered out a revised agreement with the concessionaire to assuage political opposition. The modified agreement lowers tolls and includes a 15% equity contribution for local infrastructure, new Gov. Jeff Landry

A Congress that just narrowly avoided a government shutdown is getting a fresh wish list from a wide cross section of organizations of issuers, including calls for preserving the tax exemption on municipal bonds.   The letter originates from the Public Finance Network, which encompasses twenty-four issuer organizations including the Government Finance Officers Association, the National

The Illinois Supreme Court Friday upheld pension consolidation legislation championed by Gov. JB Pritzker that was challenged in court by more than a dozen suburban and downstate police and firefighter pension funds.  The case, Arlington Heights Police Pension Fund et al. v. JB Pritzker et al., had pitted the governor and General Assembly against a

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is bringing lawmakers back into a special session on a tax cut after his plan to phase out income taxes failed to pass during a session last fall. The session, set to begin Jan. 29, will take up a 0.25% personal income tax reduction.  “With record-breaking savings and a strong economic