Jim Watts

DALLAS –Texas public education advocates called on lawmakers to use the rainy day fund and unanticipated tax revenues to restore spending cuts in the current two-year state budget.

Louisiana State Representative Jerome "Dee" Richard has initiated the process to call a special session to reconsider Gov. Bobby Jindal's recent budget cuts.

Oklahoma state revenues from oil and gas production taxes fell below year-earlier totals again in September, but Treasurer Ken Miller says the worst may be over.

Round Rock Independent School District, Texas may ask voters for a $184 million school bond authorization.

Trustees of South San Antonio Independent School District have appointed a new citizens bond committee after dissolving the previous tension-plagued panel

Proponents of the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture in Tulsa will ask the 2013 Legislature for a $42.5 million bond issue.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback appointed a panel to determine if school districts are concentrating their spending on classroom instruction.

Kansas general fund revenues in September beat expectations by almost 5%.

A $129 million capital improvement effort to build a new law school campus in downtown Phoenix for Arizona State University has been approved.

Outstanding state and local public debt in Texas doubled over the past 10 years while the population grew by 20.6%, Comptroller Susan Combs said Wednesday.

The Louisiana State Bond Commission will select underwriters and bond counsel for $334 million of revenue bonds backed by the state highway improvement fund.

Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner said she did not know the reasons behind premature bond sales from state's investment portfolio that lost almost $900,000 over the past two years.

The Texas Education Agency last week notified a record 374 local school districts with high property valuations that they must share tax revenues with poorer districts.

A recent poll of Houston voters found majorities in support of all three major general obligation bond issues on the November ballot.

Texas sales tax collections in August totaled $2.34 billion, an increase of 18.5% from August 2011 revenues, Comptroller Susan Combs said.

Arkansas will pay a true interest cost of 1.62% on $225 million of grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds priced won by JPMorgan in a competitive sale.

The University of Arkansas will use pledged athletic department revenue, largely from the football program, to support $18 million of bonds for a new academic building.

Oklahoma must reform its corporate tax incentive system before lowering the personal income tax rate, Rep. David Dank said. Failure in 2013 as in 2012 is not an option, he said.

Little Rock, Ark., voters Tuesday approved $105 million of general obligation bonds supported by a 15-year extension of a property tax. Capital improvement projects will include street and drainage work.

Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater will outline a plan to hire a debt collection consultant to advise Louisiana on how to collect its unpaid receivables.