Bonds

Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook said the U.S. central bank must take a cautious approach to cutting interest rates to allow more time for inflation to slow down in some segments of the economy. Fed policymakers left rates unchanged at their meeting last week at a two-decade high, and maintained their forecast for three rate

The state of Washington is the second large issuer to face pushback from investors as it heads to market with a deal to refund Build America Bonds using extraordinary call provisions. Wells Fargo Securities, leading a seven-bank syndicate, plans Tuesday to price $1.08 billion of Washington state motor fuel tax and vehicle related fees refunding

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Thursday he will sign by the end of the day a bill that has been flagged by the Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) as posing risks to its bond-financed transition from coal to cleaner fuels.  The legislation aims to keep the state’s largest coal-fired power plant located near Delta, Utah, in

The Kentucky State Property and Buildings Commission has $649 million of bonds on the calendar next month in a deal that will refund all of its outstanding Build America bonds, provide new money for capital projects and include a tender offer. Separately, the Kentucky Housing Corp. and the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority are seeking firms to provide

The Securities and Exchange Commission to is under fire from lawmakers and the financial industry regarding the volume and scope of regulations raining down from the regulator under the leadership of Chairman Gary Gensler. “Chair Gensler’s frenetic partisan rulemaking agenda at the SEC has threatened the health of U.S. capital markets and highlights the need

The California Senate introduced a plan that would shrink the state’s deficit, but still leave a sizable gap. Calling it an early stab at the shortfall, Sen. Leader Mike McGuire, D-North Coast, and Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee Chair Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco unveiled a plan last week that cuts $17 billion through program

Private borrowers that issue tax-exempt bonds through Pennsylvania conduit issuers don’t need to follow the state’s prevailing wage requirements for public projects. That’s the final word from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which in February decided a case that was filed in 2018 over bonds issued in 2016. Ursinus College issued bonds through a public authority

To toll, or not to toll, that is the question for Oregon lawmakers as they continue work on a comprehensive plan to create a sustainable revenue stream that will support the state’s transportation infrastructure. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek sowed confusion on Monday when she halted plans to toll Portland-area freeways, citing uncertainty about freeway project

Hawaii Department of Transportation airport division revenue bond ratings and bonds issued by the state backed by car rental fees were upgraded by Fitch Ratings, which cited full recovery on enplanements. Fitch upgraded the airport’s $1.7 billion in revenue bonds to AA-minus from A-plus and $111.6 million in certificates of participation to A-plus from A

IDEA Public Schools in Texas will operate under state oversight as part of a settlement agreement with the charter school network, which was the target of a probe since 2021 into alleged financial and operational improprieties. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) appointed two conservators to oversee and direct IDEA’s actions, facilitate a needs assessment, conduct

The Florida state legislative session ended Friday with lawmakers approving a $117.46 billion budget for fiscal 2024-2025, up 0.8% from the $116.5 billion fiscal 2023-2024 budget. This year’s budget provides another $500 million toward accelerating the debt pay-down. The general fund budget totals roughly $49.4 billion, a 7.2% increase from the current fiscal year’s budget

The Kansas Department of Transportation expects to head to the municipal market this summer with its first bond issue to help finance a $10 billion, statewide transportation improvement program.  The $200 million of bonds backed by state highway fund revenue will be sold in a negotiated deal for the 10-year Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, which

Private entities pitching Florida local governments on unsolicited public-private partnerships would face less competition and a smoother approval process under a bill that the Legislature passed and sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis last week. Senate Bill 781 would allow a local government to enter into an unsolicited proposal for a P3 without engaging in a

Seventeen years after Branson Airport issued bonds to fund the construction of an airport that opened in May 2009, it is again asking for forbearance from bondholders as it seeks federal funds for upgrades. Bond trustee UMB Bank last month filed notice to bondholders that the airport’s leaders want to pursue federal grant funding for

As the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act nears its midpoint, the massive uptick in discretionary grants for transportation infrastructure threatens to undermine the law’s effectiveness because of chronic delays and bureaucratic confusion. That’s what county and state representatives told lawmakers Thursday during a House Transportation & Infrastructure hearing on the rollout of the IIJA’s discretionary

West Virginia’s general revenue collections came in at $283.4 million in February, $30.62 million below the official estimate. February was the eighth month of fiscal 2024 and cumulative collections for the fiscal year of $3.581 billion so far are $428.1 million ahead of forecasts. “While February’s revenue came in slightly below our expectations, it’s important

Professional sports-hungry Utah is hoping to entice baseball and hockey to come to Salt Lake City with bills state lawmakers passed last week that authorize bond issuance for stadiums. House Bill 562 allows up to $900 million in financing to cover half the cost of a Major League Baseball stadium within a Fairpark Area Investment

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed the state’s $37.5 billion amended fiscal 2024 budget, $5 billion more than the original plan passed last year. “I am proud to sign a budget that further invests in our priorities of public safety, education and workforce development, and strengthened infrastructure to keep Georgia the best state to

Global exports from Kentucky rose 16.6% year-over-year to a record high of $40.2 billion in 2023, as more products made in the Bluegrass State were shipped around the world. Aerospace products and parts led the state’s exports by category in 2023, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division and WISERTrade.

Hawaii lawmakers grilled the budget director Thursday as recovery costs for the Maui wildfire are coming in double expectations, putting the budget at risk. During a hearing before the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Budget Director Luis Salaveria was asked when Gov. Josh Green’s administration realized costs to temporarily house people displaced by the fire