Jim Watts

Republicans in the Oklahoma House will back only a state bond proposal to repair the deteriorating state capitol this year, despite requests for other efforts.

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education will ask lawmakers for a five-year program of $54 million in annual bond sales to reduce a $271 million backlog in the state’s endowed chair program.

The Board of Trustees of Arkansas State University last week approved a proposal for $28.5 million of revenue bonds for projects at the school’s main campus in Jonesboro.

The Louisiana State Bond Commission approved $11 million of taxable revenue bonds for a high school military academy in New Orleans at its monthly meeting Thursday.

DALLAS — Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe sent lawmakers a $4.72 billion general fund spending plan for fiscal 2013 that increases expenditures by $163 million from fiscal 2012.

It’s time to get serious about completing Interstate 49 South in Louisiana, and a public-private partnership might be part of the financial solution to the $5.2 billion effort, Treasurer John Kennedy said last week in Lafayette.

A bond committee has asked the trustees of the Tatum Independent School District to set a May election on a $29.9 million general obligation bond program.

Legalizing the estimated 132,000 illegal immigrants working in the Houston area would result in an additional $1.4 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues, a Houston business advocacy group said last week at an immigration seminar at Rice University.

Valero Energy Corp. said last week it would not appeal Texas’ rejection of its request for a property-tax exemption on refinery equipment.

Texas sales tax revenues totaled $1.98 billion in December, an increase of 9.5% from December 2010 and the 21st consecutive month of collection increases.

Kansas is one of only three states without an emergency reserve fund, but voters might be asked to change that as early as November.

The fiscal 2013 spending plan outlined last week by Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback would use $70 million of gambling revenue from two new casinos for debt service or early retirement of state bonds.

DALLAS — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback Wednesday said he will seek a lowering of the state income tax rate that would eliminate 23 tax deductions, including charitable donations, home loans and local property taxes.

DALLAS — Leaders of the Democratic minority in the Kansas Legislature proposed a plan Tuesday to draw on projected budget surpluses and increase state aid to local education.

More people moved into Louisiana over the last two years than moved out, the U.S. Census said last week in a report on population patterns, marking a positive growth trend after more than 20 years of outflow.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue this week said that collections in the first four months of fiscal 2012 totaled $2.36 billion, up $96 million from the same period in fiscal 2011.

The trustees of the Caddo Parish Parishwide School District are scheduled to vote Jan. 17 on whether to call an April 21 election on a $133.8 million general obligation bond plan.

DALLAS — The Wichita, Kan., City Council began the process Tuesday that could result in $50 million of sales tax and revenue bonds for a multi-sport amateur athletic complex in the city.

Last week’s report from Oklahoma’s Task Force on Comprehensive Tax Reform said the state’s top personal income tax should be cut by 0.5% over the next two years from a ceiling of 5.25% in 2012 to 4.75% by 2014.

A Kansas City developer Tuesday will present the Wichita City Council with a plan for $50 million of bonds for a large indoor sports field house as part of a larger project in northeast Wichita.