Jim Watts

Having failed in an earlier attempt to bring a tax increase initiative to state voters, the Colorado Center on Law and Policy last week submitted six versions of a reworked proposal in an effort to meet constitutional requirements.

Voters in Jefferson County are going to the polls today to decide on separate city and county tax initiatives.

DALLAS — Arkansas had the largest January revenue collection in its history last month, but the flow of money still fell short of expectations as the state continued its uneven recovery from the 18-month recession that ended in June 2009.

Louisiana’s Assumption Parish School Board will sell $8.1 million of federal qualified school construction bonds to finance additional classrooms at its high school and two middle schools, and renovations at several other district facilities.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is seeking authorization to cancel annual pay raises for 56,000 state employees as officials make efforts to balance the state budget in fiscal 2012.

Trustees of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District will vote this week on whether to set a May 11 election on a proposed $136.5 million general obligation bond package.

A ceremony last week in San Antonio celebrated the beginning of a $900 million expansion of University Hospital, which is being financed with help from a $751.2 million debt program authorized in 2008 by Bexar County commissioners.

Preston Doerflinger has been named director of the Office of State Finance by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin. Doerflinger will serve in Fallin’s cabinet as secretary of finance.

Edmond city manager Larry Stevens said last week the city is seeing 4.3% growth in sales tax collections so far in fiscal 2011 after several years of growth rates between 7% and 10%.

The Kansas House Appropriations Committee last week endorsed a plan to provide a surplus of $45 million at the end of fiscal 2011 by cutting state aid to local education and reducing state employee salaries by 7.5% through June 30. The committee’s plan may be considered by the full House this week.

A group upset over Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposed spending cuts for state social service programs and education has started a recall effort to force a new election.

DALLAS — The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees gave preliminary approval to $141 million of revenue bonds Friday that will finance improvements to the main campus in Fayetteville.

Louisiana State University has been hurt by a loss of $45 million in state aid over the last two years, LSU provost Jack Hamilton said this week, but additional cuts could cause longer-lasting damage.

DALLAS — The Texas Senate’s proposed $158.7 billion spending plan for fiscal 2012 and 2013 is 15% lower than the current $187.5 billion budget but $2.3 billion more than the House’s two-year budget proposal.

DALLAS — The Oklahoma budget- stabilization fund has been so depleted that it’s no longer enough to cover the cost of a cup of coffee at most restaurants, let alone help balance the state budget.

The Texas Facilities Commission last week unanimously endorsed a development concept for downtown Austin that would combine new state office buildings with private developments on state-owned land near the capitol.

Trustees of Socorro Independent School District voted last week to ask voters to approve a $297 million general obligation bond issue May 14.

Gov. Susana Martinez last week said that New Mexico could save $25 million by cutting the repayment to television and movie producers to 15% of their expenses within the state from the current 25%.

Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System are considering lowering the assumption that it will realize an 8% annual return on its investments. KPERS executive director Glenn Deck told the Senate Ways and Means Committee that the assumed rate of return will be lowered to between 7% and 8%.

The Arkansas Senate is considering whether the state should issue bonds to repay $330 million received since March 2009 from the federal government for unemployment benefits.