Jim Watts

DALLAS — Louisiana avoided paying swap termination fees totaling more than $66 million on second-lien gas and fuels tax bonds with replacement hedge agreements approved Friday by a special subcommittee of the State Bond Commission.

DALLAS — Arkansas will study a proposal to turn the Interstate highway from Little Rock to Memphis into a toll road after the General Assembly failed to repeal a sales tax exemption on large trucks and trailers.

The latest in a series of grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide $68 million to New Orleans for street repairs.

DALLAS — El Paso County, Texas, commissioners Monday approved the development of a five-year capital improvement program to identify and finance needed long-term assets.

Trustees of the Tidehaven Independent School District last week voted to put a $50.5 million general obligation bond package to voters May 10.

Property values in Harris County, Texas, are expected to rise 4.54% in 2012 based on preliminary figures from the Harris County Appraisals District.

A measure adopted by the Kansas Legislature last week will allow Junction City to operate with debt levels higher than mandated under state law through 2020.

Blytheville voters approved a 1% sales tax last week that will be dedicated to paying a $3.7 million tax bill from the Internal Revenue Service.

Voters in Pulaski County, Ark., will be asked July 10 to establish a taxing district to provide financing for Pulaski Technical College through a property tax levy.

DALLAS — Oklahoma lawmakers have approved five competing measures cutting the state income tax that must be reconciled before the fiscal 2013 budget can be developed.

DALLAS — The Louisiana State Bond Commission named Citi as senior managing underwriter for a negotiated sale of $400 million of state gasoline and fuels-tax revenue refunding bonds.

DALLAS — Voters in Little Rock approved a renewal of a bond program Tuesday that will provide the Central Arkansas Library System with up to $24 million of new money for new and expanded facilities.

DALLAS — The Oklahoma Senate adopted a 10-year phaseout of the state's personal income tax Monday that could reduce revenues by more than $4 billion over the next four fiscal years.

Texas sales tax revenues exceeded $2 billion again in February, Comptroller Susan Combs said last week.

February tax revenues of $810 million were $107.4 million more than expected and the 24th time in a row that Oklahoma revenues have been on the increase, Treasurer Ken Miller said last week.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez used the line-item veto to strike nearly 200 local projects from the state’s capital outlay program.

A 10-year-old economic development initiative will expire with the end of fiscal 2012 on June 30 unless the Kansas Legislature extends the sales tax revenue bond program.

The Wichita, Kan., City Council last week adopted a 10-year, $2.4 billion capital improvement plan that will be financed in part with $304 million of general obligation bonds.

DALLAS — Dallas may finance a $300 million drainage project with revenue bonds rather than with proceeds from a $500 million general obligation package expected to go to voters in November.

Louisiana companies and individuals cut their state tax bills by almost $5 billion from 2005 through 2010 by claiming coverage under the state’s 464 tax credits and exemptions, the Legislative Auditor’s Office said in a new report issued March 5.