Jim Watts

The new bond-financed convention center hotel under construction in downtown Dallas has almost met its booking goals for the first years of operation.

State sales tax collections in Texas last month totaled $1.84 billion, up almost 9% from November 2009. The collections come from retail sales in October.

Oklahoma’s Grand River Dam Authority expects to lower power rates over several years beginning in 2011 as its debt-service payments drop off.

Kansas Governor-elect Sam Brownback last week named Steve Anderson as his budget director to replace Duane Goosen.

The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services in January will present the General Assembly with a plan to repay the federal government the $331 million the state owes for unemployment insurance benefits paid to residents since March 2009.

DALLAS — Gov. Bobby Jindal outlined plans to legislative leaders Thursday that would generate revenue quickly as Louisiana faces a $1.6 billion hole in the fiscal 2012 general fund budget.

DALLAS — Top Texas leaders have asked state agencies to cut their fiscal 2011 budgets by 2.5% due to lower-than-expected revenue during the first year of the state’s current two-year budget cycle.

A random sample of 24 of 277 New Orleans hotels subject to the city's hotel tax found a total of $145,000 in unpaid taxes, including penalties and interest, over a three-month period in 2010.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said last week that he will not use new taxes or fees to balance the fiscal 2012 budget despite a projected revenue shortfall of $1.6 billion.

The Louisiana State Bond Commission continued its efforts Monday to allocate the state's remaining capacity of Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds by awarding $91 million of the tax-exempt bonds at a special session.

A report by two state agencies determined that if Texas withdrew from the Medicaid health care program, it would cost the state $15 billion a year in federal funds.

Houston finance director Michelle Mitchell resigned last week, saying she wanted to re-enter the private sector after four years with the largest city in Texas.

A special legislative committee in Kansas has recommended reconsidering two state pension reform bills next year that failed in the 2010 Legislature.

Citing better-than-expected revenues during the first five months of fiscal 2011, Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe last week ordered the Department of Finance and Administration to reinstate cost-of-living adjustments, career-service recognitions, and merit pay for state employees.

The city of Surprise will use loans from a number of its accounts to cover shortfalls resulting from the misapplication of $73 million of impact fee revenues.

DALLAS — The final report on highway financing in Arkansas, delivered to state leaders on Wednesday, recommends asking voters to approve higher taxes to support $1.8 billion of revenue bonds for transportation projects.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal met this week with education officials to discuss the likelihood of additional spending cuts in the fiscal 2012 budget.

DALLAS — Kansas state tax receipts in November failed to meet forecasters’ projections by a slim margin, but still posted a significant gain over year-ago collections.

DALLAS — A statewide revolving loan program to upgrade and improve municipal water and sewer systems in Kansas will be financed with proceeds from this week’s negotiated sale of $231.2 million of revenue bonds.

Moody’s Investors Service last week lowered its rating on the Spring Independent School District’s debt to Aa3 from Aa2.