Jim Watts

Louisiana needs to do a better job in tracking hundreds of tax exemptions and credits, the president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana Inc., said.

A panel of 14 Louisiana state legislators is reviewing more than 400 tax exemptions that cost the state between $4 billion and $7 billion a year.

June's sales tax revenues totaled $1.98 billion, up 15.2% from June 2011, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said last week.

State officials will use $25 million of bonds authorized by Texas voters in 2007 to repair the Battleship Texas rather than dry-berth the World War I-vintage ship.

Oklahoma's bond rating would be better if the state issued more bonds for vital infrastructure projects, the Daily Oklahoman said Friday in a lead editorial.

Arkansas election officials last week rejected petitions seeking an increase in the state's tax on natural gas production after more than 70% of the signatures were declared invalid.

A lawsuit filed by a group seeking an election to overturn Glendale, Ariz.'s recent sales tax increase will be heard Aug. 14 in Maricopa County Superior Court

Tucson residents who want to put in their two cents worth on the city’s $100 million general obligation bond referendum must pay $240 to have their opinions printed in the official voter pamphlet.

Louisiana's chain of 10 state hospitals that serve 1.2 million low income and disabled Louisianians are imperiled by a sudden and severe cut in federal funds for the program.

The Louisiana State Bond Commission gave approval Thursday to New Orleans' request for taxable refunding issue of up to $200 million in late August.

Louisiana Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein will outline the reasons behind his order cutting $550 million from the state's Medicaid program Thursday at a special joint legislative committee hearing.

Louisiana could avoid repeated revenue shortfalls and be able to adequately fund higher education if state spending were more rational, Treasurer John Kennedy said.

Louisiana State Bond Commission will consider a request Thursday from the Tiger Athletic Foundation for $75 million of revenue bonds to finance an expansion project at Louisiana State University's football stadium in Baton Rouge.

Current revenues will curtail road building in Texas within a few years, according to testimony last week before a House Appropriations subcommittee.

Oklahoma put $306.8 million into its budget stabilization fund last week, bringing the total rainy day reserve to $556 million.

The Topeka, Kan. hotel tax will go to 7% from the current 6% in 2013 to finance $4.2 million of improvements to a soccer complex.

Phoenix wants to put $50 million of city funds into federally insured accounts at local banks and credit unions that are chartered in Arizona or have a physical presence in Maricopa County.

Phoenix collected $355 million in sales taxes in the first 11 months of fiscal 2012, up from $342.8 million in the same period of fiscal 2011.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker unveiled a $410 million general obligation proposal that could go on the Nov. 6 ballot. Parker said the city has capacity to issue up to $430 million of new debt without increasing the property tax rate.

Former state Rep. Vic Stelly, who engineered a now-repealed plan that raised income tax rates while reducing sales taxes, said last week that tax credits and exemptions are destroying Louisiana's finances.