Jim Watts

Democratic lawmakers and local school officials call on the Oklahoma Legislature to avoid tax cuts they said would damage public education.

Design features of the new bond-financed baseball stadium in downtown El Paso, Texas, will pay homage to the city's copper mining and railroad history.

Gov. Bobby Jindal's plan to lower the income tax rate and raise the sales tax gives lawmakers a chance at effective tax reform.

Louisiana Treasurer John N. Kennedy said Gov. Bobby Jindal's proposed 2014 budget is "a fond illusion" and structurally flawed.

El Paso County gave preliminary approval for $162 million of certificates of obligation for new primary health clinics.

State bond debt and lease commitments would be capped at 28% of general revenue under a bill approved by House.

Sedgwick County faces another round of budget cuts as property valuations stay flat and state aid drops.

Two feasibility studies of plan to issue $125 million of state GO bonds for a steel mill project should be ready for legislative review by early next week.

Maricopa County Community College District will raise its property tax rate and tuition as state aid continues to decline.

Mesa will get $8.2 million to finance upgrades to a spring training home for the Oakland Athletics, but not until 2020.

School districts in Texas are seeking more than $2 billion of general obligation bond authority from voters at the May 11 municipal elections.

Louisiana is rapidly running out of general obligation bond proceeds to finance state capital projects and can't issue enough additional debt to pay for projects already on the books.

Austin Independent School District called for a May 11 election on an $892.3 million, four-part general obligation bond package.

Voters in Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD near San Antonio will decide May 11 on a $92 million GO bond proposal.

Debt service on state bonds would be limited to 4.5% of annual state revenues under a proposed constitutional amendment.

New Mexico's State budget bill for fiscal 2014 of $6 billion includes a 1% pay raise for most state workers and public school teachers.

Kansans will pay $392 million less in taxes in fiscal 2014 as a result of a 2012 reduction in the state's top income tax rate, the Department of Revenue said.

School districts suing the state over public education funding asked the Kansas Supreme Court to broaden a lower court's decision that the current system is unconstitutional.

Arkansas Supreme Court said property tax for schools cannot be diverted to economic development.

Tulane University in New Orleans will continue its post-hurricane renewal effort with a negotiated sale of $98.6 million of revenue bonds.