Jim Watts

Oklahoma revenues in November failed to match last year’s totals as energy production tax collections remained anemic, Treasurer Ken Miller said.

The latest revenue projections for fiscal 2014 indicate New Mexico will have $283 million of new money that can be appropriated or expended for tax cuts by the 2013 Legislature.

Arkansas’ November revenues of $427.6 million were $15 million more than in November 2011 and $4 million more than expected, the Department of Finance and Administration said.

Local school districts would pay 15% of employee income into the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System under a legislative agenda approved last week by pension plan trustees.

Maricopa County Unified School District 97, Ariz., expects to issue up to $24 million of general obligation bonds by late January from a $148 million authorization approved by voters in 2008.

Large state pension plans in Texas are financially stable but local government retirement programs would benefit from more transparency, Comptroller Susan Combs said Tuesday.

A state-owned hospital that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal hoped to lease for $35 million is worth only $20.9 million at best, according to a new appraisal of the New Orleans Adolescent Hospital.

A sale of $200 million of highway revenue bonds by Kansas Department of Transportation will fund the next year of projects in Kansas's 10-year highway program.

Voters in property-rich school districts are extremely reluctant to approve tax increases when half of the additional revenue will flow to poorer-districts, a pollster testified last week in a suit challenging the constitutionality of the current state funding system.

Oklahoma County voters may be asked in March to approve a tax increase for a bond issue to finance a new detention center in downtown Oklahoma City expected to cost $350 million.

Gov. Sam Brownback said last week he was encouraged by an 0.6% increase in state tax collections in November that totaled $441 million, which was $2.6 million more than expected.

Investments held by Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System rose to $6.1 billion in the third quarter of 2012, an increase of $282 million over the quarter.

School districts that can generate property tax revenues above the state’s basic per-student stipend do not have to share the excess collections with poorer districts, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled last week in a 4-3 decision.

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said a state water infrastructure bond bank financed with $1 billion from the $8 billion Rainy Day Fund could help meet demand from a growing population.

The Glendale, Ariz. City Council approved a $308 million, 20-year management agreement to keep the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes in the city's bond-financed Jobing.com Arena.

Including more poor residents in Louisiana’s Medicaid health-care program would cost the state almost $4 billion over 10 years, the head of the state health department said.

Williamson County, Texas commissioners last week authorized the use $36 million remaining from a $228 million road bond program approved by voters in 2006.

Round Rock, Texas City Council approved a $14.5 million construction contract last week for an indoor sports venue being financed in part with $7.8 million of revenue bonds

Kansas legislative researchers have found eight surplus properties that could be sold for up to $2.2 million, a level that a proponent of the process said was disappointing.

Actuaries said last week the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System will need more than 100 years to pay its current unfunded liabilities of $4.4 billion, up from a 66-year projection in June 2011.